Speak
by Miss Strange
Summary: CH. 7 UP! Sasuke was deemed mentally ill so now his Grandmother and Grandfather have placed him in a mental hospital with others with his disease. The food was bad, and the people were annoying but maybe a certain someone can get him to speak. sasuhina
1. Silent

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or any of its characters. However, we do own the OCs--if there are any--and the plot so please no stealing!**

Speak

_Silent_

Two long days.

The two longest days of Sasuke's life.

It had been two long days since he had last seen the sun, or the grass, or the birds, or…well, anything from the outside, really; evidently, the doctors have deemed him hazardous within a three feet radius to anything sharp or pointy or tall or heavy, not including the table and chairs. They believed that he would once more attempt to take his life should they lead him outside.

They guessed right obviously, though he silently wished they were dumber like the last institution.

Not only had it been the longest days, it had been the most boring ones he had ever lived through. He had nothing to do for two whole days except count the cracks on the tiles and twiddle with his fingers out of extreme tediousness. His brain had gone numb from the boredom, and his eyes had faint bags under them, indicating that he was not sleeping well. How could he? A nurse always passed by his cell with the loud **click-clack** of her heels, and she would sometimes tap on the window as if she was a little girl, watching an animal on display but was disappointed when she saw that the beast was just lying there, dead-like.

He scowled inwardly. _I hope she slips on her shoes._

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke stared at the blonde woman gazing at him kindly, but he could see the frustration in her eyes as she tried to push it down but to no avail.

Her blue eyes blinked at him from across the table; her blonde hair reached her waist, and it was tied in a high ponytail, but her bangs were pushed to the side, covering part of her face. Her clothes were a bit revealing, although she wore a white coat over them so it hid much of her skin; there was a clipboard in her hand, and a pen in her other hand. He didn't see her scribble anything on it except for the date and his name; besides that, the page was blank, for he had not said a thing.

"Sasuke," she began once more. "Are you a mute?"

He said nothing; said person only stared at her with indifferent, crimson eyes. He turned his head to the right to stare at the tiled floor, his arms crossed over his chest rebelliously. Sasuke wondered why they weren't in a more comfortable room with a desk and a computer and a long bed-like chair for him to lay on like in those movies. Instead, he sat in a cold, desolate cell with a glass window, a metal door, and a table and chairs. That was it. No plants to shower the room with nature's glory, no TV to entertain him, no books, no computers, no game systems, no nothing! He inwardly sighed, knowing that the place would bore him to no extent. It would bore him to the point where he would really fall off the edge and go crazy.

Of course, these people—he eyed her irritably—already thought he was crazy.

He was not crazy.

Not. At. All.

Sasuke was perfectly sane, he knew it, and though his adoptive family members and society itself didn't know it, he didn't really care. But seeing as how they had stuck him in a jail for the mentally ill, he was stuck for the next few months listening to them ask him the same questions over and over again.

Whoopee.

"Do you understand Japanese?" she asked for—oh, what was it…? Ah yes, the hundredth time.

The dark, brooding, uncaring man did nothing to show her that he understood, or even heard her question for that matter.

He heard the woman—what was her name? Ino, that was it!—sigh depressingly and check her watch. She then stood up and headed for the door, her pen above her right ear and her clipboard underneath her arm. Ino left without another word, much to Sasuke's relief. He watched her through the window as she walked past, saying a few words to a man who stopped her with a smile. He wore such strange clothing, Sasuke mused. They all did really. The man that had just passed her had a bowl-shaped haircut, and was dressed in green, and he had the bushiest eyebrows Sasuke had ever seen! Even his coat was green…which was absurd, for his co-workers all wore white. Was he of a lower rank?

_Retard…_

* * *

"Wait, what?" Hinata furrowed her brows in confusion; what did Kakashi just say? Did she hear him right? Was she _switching _patients?

"I want you to concentrate on someone else for the time being." Kakashi repeated, crossing his fingers patiently as he waited for the information to sink in. "Just for a little while, to see how it goes."

"B-but," she protested feebly. "I-I almost have a break-through with K-Kiba." Even as she grew up, she still couldn't get rid of her horrible habit of stuttering, but it wasn't as bad as when she was younger. Nowadays, she only stammered a few times—it wasn't much, but it was a rather large improvement in her eyes.

Kakashi smiled; she could tell because the wrinkles around his eyes lifted upwards, and his eyes squinted a bit. He still wore that ugly black bandana wrapped around part of his face, making him look like a bandit.

"I know," Kakashi said. "And I'm very glad about it, but Sasuke is one of the most recent cases, and I'm changing doctors for him every few days, just to see which one would be best for him."

The young Hyuuga frowned, clearly not liking the idea of leaving Kiba. He had quite a temper, and an inexperienced analyst could get severely injured. Still, if her boss wished it to be, then there was really nothing she could do. And besides that, it was probably her boss's boss—Tsunade-sama's—orders for him to at least attempt at something with the new patient, and if it was Tsunade's orders, then Hinata really _couldn't_ do anything. After all, Tsunade was a stubborn woman—who loved to get drunk and gamble, but we won't go there—and she had quite a wrath, so Hinata was basically helpless.

"It's only for Fridays and Wednesdays," Kakashi began once more. "And I'm sure Inuzuka-kun shall be perfectly fine with Shino during those days."

The information she just received was comforting. Though Shino was rather…odd, he was a kind person—with an abnormal fetish for bugs—and though he was quiet and indifferent about his work, she knew that he actually cared for the people he was assigned to. Not only that, but Kiba had seen and spoken with Shino once or twice before, so he wasn't a _complete_ stranger. But it continued to bother her just a bit…

"So, when will I begin?" Hinata asked, fidgeting with her thumbs—the cursed habit only returned when she felt nervous or unsure.

"Tomorrow," Kakashi replied, sliding a manila folder towards her. "This is the information about him—Sasuke Uchiha."

She nodded, inwardly sighing. The hard part would be explaining to Kiba.

* * *

Hinata leaned against the white walls, staring at the ground in deep thought. She had two patients now; more paperwork to deal with. She cheered sarcastically.

She wondered what Sasuke was like and why he was transferred to Konoha Mental Facility; she only scanned the first page of his thick profile but it said that he had first went to Suna Mental Hospital before something had happened and they were forced to send him over to Konoha. She would read it later, Hinata decided; it was too long to read it now, and besides, she had left it in her office.

Hinata gently banged the back of her head on the wall a couple of times. So much work. Now she would be lucky to even get six hours of sleep! Because Kiba was actually agreeing to answer her questions, Hinata had more to write, and thus, more work.

Still, it was better than going home empty-handed; after all, the only reason she wanted to be a psychiatrist was to help those in need of help, though sometimes her job was a bit too extreme and challenging for her.

Hinata spotted Ino walking out of the lounge; she quickly ran up to her. "Ino, how did it go?"

"How did what go?" Ino inquired, raising a brow. The two of them headed down the hall, walking in the direction of the east wing; the cafeteria was that way, and it was their turn to keep a watch on the patients, especially the cutters—like Temari.

"Didn't you just c-come from Naruto's room?"

Ino shook her head. "No, I had Sasuke Uchiha as my patient since this morning." She rubbed her temples in exhaustion. "You wouldn't believe how uncooperative he is!"

Hinata made a face, not liking the news. She never liked working with the stubborn patients, though Kiba was like that for three whole months; a lot of the patients there at Konoha were unwilling to collaborate with the staff. She hated trying to break the thick shields; that was the hardest part of her job—well, that and the tons of paperwork she had to do. Though breaking through was the most difficult, it was also the most important.

"Is he l-like Temari?" Hinata questioned; Temari was probably the most stressful patient Hinata ever had. Temari was a violent woman, and unfortunately for Hinata, she was her first patient when Hinata was accepted as one of the doctors of Konoha Mental Facility. Needless to say, Kakashi had had to swap her with Rock Lee—he didn't do a great job either, but at least he wasn't stabbed with a pen like she was…

"Ugh, worse!" Ino grimaced. "The guy won't even answer my questions, and not only that but he practically ignores my very existence! It's like talking to a wall!" she complained—very loudly at that; a few heads turned towards them in curiosity.

"Except in this case, the wall is totally aggravating…" the blonde muttered, pushing through the double doors of the cafeteria. She spotted a familiar pink head and waved enthusiastically at her.

Turning to Hinata, Ino said, "I'll talk to you later, Hinata."

"Wait, are you still his doctor?" Hinata asked.

Ino shook her head thankfully, allowing a tired but pleased smile. "Thank goodness I'm not; Kakashi-sensei only assigned me a day to Sasuke. I feel sorry for the poor sap that's going to be stuck with him."

Hinata sighed as Ino walked off, heading towards her friend. She was too far away to hear the purple haired woman whisper, "Me too."

* * *

_Another one…_ Sasuke privately frowned as he stared at the woman opposite of him.

"Is there anything you would like to say, Uchiha-kun?" Sakura asked politely.

Just like the last woman, the pink haired doctor had a clipboard and a pen and a white coat. They reminded him a little bit of an army; all dressed up and rearing to go, clad in a white coat and armed with a clipboard and a writing utensil. Perfect little minions for taking over the world psychologically! Sasuke mentally snorted at the thought of the fragile-looking pink headed lady in front of him holding a gun or a sword or a pen and attempting to kill another with it.

"Uchiha-kun?" her annoying voice broke his thoughts.

Oh how he longed to wring their necks to stop their irritable questions.

Infuriating psychiatrists…

Really, was there no way for him to be at peace?

"Uchiha-kun?"

Apparently not…

"Can you understand Japanese?" she asked slowly, pronouncing the words as clearly as she could. He was getting tired of the questions, the same questions every person asked him, therapist or not. If only they didn't confiscate the spare knife he had…Sasuke figured that fate must really love watching him despair.

Her voice was so high pitched; he imagined her as a pig out of boredom. It almost brought a smile to his lips.

Almost.

"Uchiha-kun?" She leaned towards him, staring at his unresponsive, pale face. With her eyes, she traced the curve of his lips, and his pointed nose, and his crimson eyes with a rapid heart. Of course, if he wasn't mentally ill, she would've totally dated him. But the fact was, he was mental and there was nothing she could do about it if he did not want to talk. She silently wondered why she decided to be a therapist.

He could practically smell the strong perfume that was emitting from Sakura; he nearly gagged on the powerful scent. It didn't smell all that great...she must've been ripped off. At that moment, Sasuke hoped that she was going to leave sometime soon—the smell was unbearable, he was surprised that he didn't noticed it until then!—but it didn't seem like she would. It was just something in his gut telling him that it was going to be a long day.

_Smelly freak…_

"I'm here to help you, Sasuke—is it okay if I call you that?" Sakura said, trying to pretend to be his friend, like all of the other losers in the building. They didn't really care about him; they just wanted their paycheck. Well fine, Sasuke didn't care about them either, and he didn't care if he bothered them with his silence, and it didn't bother him in the least bit knowing that he was causing trouble for them and their boss and their boss's boss. It brought him pride to be frank. Not happiness though.

Never happiness.

The only time he found happiness was when he was about to leap from a twenty foot building, or something along those lines. The only time when he felt real joy was when he was pressing the blade of a knife to his neck. Those moments were only his, his personal memories, the only time when he actually felt free, when he felt as though there was nothing weighing him down. Holding a knife against his neck, against his arm, he knew that it was him—he himself—who was holding the sharp edge against his skin, and not anyone else. Only at that time did he truly feel like he was Sasuke Uchiha, not his grandmother's perfect little boy, not the man that people congratulated when he won an award or anything else that was just as insignificant.

When he was suicidal, ironically, it was the only time that he was not depressed, the only time that he was not pressured from his peers or family members.

They didn't understand that when they pat him on the back and smile at him, telling him he did a job well done, it wasn't him they were talking to. They couldn't even begin to comprehend that they weren't talking to Sasuke; they were talking to an _Uchiha_, they were talking to his grandmother's prodigy, his grandfather's source of joy, his family's pride. But they weren't talking to _him_, because they didn't know him. They knew his achievements, they knew his reputation, but they didn't know _him_.

He was all alone. Friendless, lonely, and now his moments of bliss were gone.

They were cruelly snatched away from him by people who thought he was crazy because he wanted to feel ecstasy.

Snatched away by _people who did not understand._

And again, there, sitting right in front of him, was a woman who did not understand, a woman who asked questions to try to grasp what was his "problem" but could never really get the picture. Why? Because _she was the problem_. She and her little friends in white.

"Sasuke? Don't you want to be helped?" Sakura inquired, flashing a small smile to try and encourage Sasuke to open up and step out of his shell. It only served to push him farther into his cave of silence.

Sasuke mentally answered her question, the same mental answer he gave to everyone who asked him.

_There is nothing wrong with wanting to be happy._

_Ino was right,_ She let out a soft sigh, slumping against the chair. _This guy _is_ an aggravating wall!_

"I'm your friend, Sasuke," Sakura tried once more, though with no success.

_Friends don't let friends rot in a cage._

"I won't hurt you, Sasuke."

_That's exactly why you have an endless amount of needles hiding somewhere just out of reach._

She tried a slightly different approach. "I want you to be discharged, too; but you can't leave unless you get better."

There was that ugly little phrase.

"_You can't leave until you get better."_

"_You can't go anywhere unless you get better."_

"_The only way is to get better."_

"_You must get better!"_

"_For the sake of the family, get better!"_

Why did they say he had to get better?

Why did they all think there was something wrong with him?

Why did they all insist he needed help?

There was nothing wrong with him; he had spent hours observing his adopted family, and he had spent days watching people his own age. Where was the difference? He couldn't find it; in the style of clothing? Was it in the way the way he dressed or spoke that was different? Or maybe they thought he was different because he had been caught multiple times in his happy moment.

They were all so nosy…

Especially the pink haired one, who still would not stop talking!

"Sasuke, please say something," she said softly. "I can't help you if you won't talk to me."

Everyone claimed he needed professional help, but who said he ever wanted the help? It was pointless if he didn't want to be assisted, and he didn't, because there was nothing wrong with him. There was nothing wrong with wanting happiness, and Sasuke stood firmly beside that thought as he ignored the annoying woman who wanted to "lend a hand to a person in need."

The only need he had was to leave and never come back.

* * *

Sasuke lied on the cold hard floor; all he had was a pillow and a flimsy blanket, and the chill concrete to aid him to sleep.

**Click-clack…click-clack…**

And there was that annoying nurse again, making her rounds.

**Thump…thump…**

And once more, she was tapping on the window.

_Moron,_ Sasuke scowled as he turned to face the nurse, glaring at her through the darkness. She shined her flashlight upon Sasuke's face and was taken back to see him glaring so intensely at her.

If looks could kill…

As she walked away, Sasuke imagined her tripping on her heels—which were probably pink—and falling and screaming out; it brought much satisfaction knowing that the thought was likely to happen. Those shoes were hazardous to people's health. He witnessed it first hand; his step-sister, Karin, broke her legs and her left arm tripping while wearing them.

Sasuke turned to face the ceiling—or where he supposed the ceiling was. Black blankets engulfed him, and silence threatened to eat away at his very mind. Sasuke never liked it when it was _too_ silent; at his house, there was always something making noise—his grandmother's yells, his grandfather's snores, the younger children playing pretend, or his sisters' or brothers' gossips, but always something or someone. Occasionally, the wind rustled the trees to provide a background noise for Sasuke, but now that he was in a white jail, there was nothing but his breathing. Mother Nature was blocked out by the thick walls that caged him.

He silently wondered how the older patients managed to survive being in such a quiet place.

* * *

Sasuke was not able to go out to the commons to eat for he was still "unstable" as the doctors had so kindly put it. So, because he could not eat with the others, he had to resort to wait for one of the nurses to come, open the large door—that did not even creak or budge, much to his dismay—and push a bowl of soup or a sandwich—or whatever disgusting breakfast they had planned for him—towards him, though he never ate it, unless it looked edible…like the sandwich that they gave him yesterday morning.

He was not as lucky as yesterday though.

Today, he had happened to receive soup from the people.

Soup that had a black thing lying dead center right in the bowl.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the black dot drifting in his breakfast—it looked a lot like a fly.

They wouldn't be as careless as to place a _fly_ in his soup and _not notice a thing_, would they?

It suddenly _flew_ out of the bowl and around his head a few times and then dived right back into his food.

Sasuke pushed the bowl away.

_I just lost my appetite…_

* * *

Hinata stared at the metal door in front of her, unsure of whether to enter. She stared down at the clipboard and purple pen in her hand. Then she looked down at herself; a lavender shirt and black skirt, and then a white coat over it—her uniform. Hinata glanced at her Tinkerbell watch; it said: 9:17; she had until six o'clock to attempt to get at least a **peep** out of him.

_I might as well see what I can do._ Hinata thought with a nervous frown; she anxiously bit her bottom lip as she placed a hand on the silver handle, turning it and then pushing her weight against the door, willing it to budge.

She peeked inside the room.


	2. Reactions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters.**

**Please keep in mind that I am only an eighth grader; I have no idea how a mental asylum really works, and I have no medical knowledge whatsoever. Of course, if you happen to know a medical/mental asylum site that could possibly help me with this story, then by all means please pm me about it. Oh, and should you see any mistakes, I apologize; after reading it for…I dunno, four times, it gets kind of dull…**

**Jin: Please and thank you! Don't forget to R and R; now read on and enjoy!**

Speak

_Reactions_

Sasuke inwardly glared at the purple haired woman peeking into the room. _Another one? _

How many more people would he have to deal with before they were satisfied? They were supposed to be smart; why couldn't they realize that he would never speak? Why couldn't they realize that there was nothing wrong with him?

Sasuke emotionlessly stared at the doctor; she was gazing at him with lavender eyes. She looked feeble and younger than the last two females that he had to suffer under; not only that, but the woman looked as if a slight breeze could knock her over, or if someone just happened to say that they didn't like her hairstyle, she seemed like the type that would immediately start crying. Fortunately, she was not wearing skimpy clothes like the first lady, and unlike the second one, she did not wear a terrible perfume; that brought a wash of relief over Sasuke. Hopefully, she would be at least halfway normal.

She stepped inside the room, closing the metal door behind her as slow as possible; Sasuke guessed she was nervous; maybe she was an amateur. After what seemed like hours, the door finally closed and he could hear a faint click as she locked it. Turning around, the woman silently watched him with anxious eyes. She was certainly much quieter than the other two.

"Ano…" her voice was soft. "Sasuke-kun…?"

Obviously, Sasuke didn't answer; he merely continued to stare at her with expressionless, crimson eyes. _Here comes the barrage of questions._

After a moment of silence and stares, the woman pulled out a wooden chair and took a seat across from Sasuke, setting her clipboard and pen down on the table.

"I'm Doctor Hyuuga, b-but you can just call me Hinata." Doctor Hyuuga paused, waiting for a reaction from Sasuke; but of course, the only response she received was a blink.

"Are you a mute?" she asked. Sasuke mentally rolled his eyes; the question started to get old after hearing it so many times.

_Moron._ He felt like standing up and yelling the word over and over again; he wanted to steal the keys and unlock the door and then just run down the halls and yell moron to every doctor he could see. Half the people inside the insane asylum probably weren't even insane! The doctors couldn't tell the crazies from the normal people even if the answer bit them in the butt; his grandparents were just as crazy for placing him in such a stupid place. And to think his life was in their hands; he wasn't sure if he wanted dense people in charge of his existence.

"I'm here to help you, S-Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke raised his head to stare at the cracks on the ceiling. _One…two…three…four…five…--_

"If it's any r-reassurance, I'm not an amateur. I-I've done this before."

_--six…seven…eight…nine…ten…--_

"Um…I have a-another person I work with besides you. H-his name is Kiba." Hinata fiddled with her fingers. "H-have you met him?"

_--eleven…twelve…thirteen…fourteen…fifteen…sixteen…--_

"D-don't you want to leave Sasuke?"

Sasuke continued his silent counting, figuring it would take a long time before she left him alone. He had overheard some nurses talking at eight in the morning when they had walked in to give him his breakfast; they said that he would have a different doctor every day or so. Sasuke mentally scowled; a different, dumb doctor each day didn't sound very exciting to him; the only thing appealing about it was that he was able to cause trouble for multiple people.

"Sasuke-kun? A-are you listening?"

_Nope._

* * *

"Good morning, Naruto," Ino chirped as she opened the door and stepped inside Naruto's cold cell; she locked the door behind her and took a seat at the table, watching him as he grunted his reply and messed with the flowers he had received yesterday; they were sent by Tsunade-sama as a "get better" gift. He opened the card and listened to it play a soft, familiar lullaby, but he couldn't quite place his finger on where he had heard it before.

Ino smiled. "So, you like your gifts from Tsunade-sama?" she asked, setting her things down.

Naruto shrugged, not in the mood to talk to the smiling Ino. The nurses had woken him from a nice dream; he couldn't remember what it was about though. It was one of those dreams that you really liked and wished you could play it over in your head, but when you woke up, it slipped out of your hands, hidden in a secret drawer somewhere in the back of your mind. He had tried multiple times to figure out the combination to the drawer that kept his sweet dream out of reach, but, alas, it was not to be; each attempt ended in failure. He even asked Haku to try hypnosis on him; that didn't work either. Kin and Kankurou slapped him upside his head, figuring that a jolt to the brain would unlock the cabinet; the only thing they unlocked was Naruto's eyes which began rolling around in his sockets.

"How was breakfast?" Ino inquired, scribbling words down onto the sheet of paper. "I heard you had waffles today; must've been better than the egg-rolls I had."

"It was okay," he muttered, setting the card aside; he pulled out a flower from the vase and twirled it in his hands. He remembered seeing movies where the girls would pick out a daisy from the fields and then pull the petals off one by one, saying, "He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not." Naruto couldn't quite understand why they did it; how would a flower tell you if someone loved you?

_If you ask me, they're the ones that should be in this place._ He thought with a grin.

"What's so funny?" Ino asked, leaning forward in her chair to get a better look at the smirk on the yellow haired person's face.

"Nothing," he said quickly, wiping off the smile. "I was just…thinking…"

"About what?"

"Nothing," he repeated as another small beam slithered its way onto his face; he didn't bother to hide it that time.

"Alright then," Ino said, not wanting to push him. "Well, let's get started; what do you want to talk about today?"

Naruto shrugged once more, not caring what the topic was. When he wasn't in the mood to chat, he would just tune her out and ignore her.

"Do you want to talk about your step-father?" she suggested; Ino didn't receive an answer. "How did you feel when he died, Naruto?"

He scowled slightly at her tone of voice; it was the tone practically everyone used with him. They talked as if he was an outcast, as if he wasn't a human, as if he wasn't the same as them and couldn't understand their language. They spoke to him like he wasn't good enough, like he was inferior to them; it annoyed Naruto to the point of violence, but he made sure to keep his anger in check. Though it was annoying, the frightened look on their faces when he was about to pound them, it scared him. It made him feel like a _monster_. He mentally shook his head, ridding himself of such thoughts; Naruto concentrated on Ino's voice as her questions brought him back to reality and away from his fears.

"Were you sad that he died? Did you cry?"

Her questions didn't help him much; it steered him towards the heartache that he had managed to seal up. Her inquiries pulled the stitches off of his heart, exposing him to the pain he did not want to feel and the memories he had tried so hard to forget.

"Naruto? Are listening?"

"Where were you on Tuesday?" he suddenly asked, purposely changing the subject as he plucked a petal from the flower and then watched as it dived to the floor; nothing extraordinary happened.

"Don't worry about it," Ino said. "Please answer the question, Naruto. Were you sad that your step-father died? Were you happy?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he muttered, crushing the flower in his hands. He dropped it, took another flower from the vase, and started pulling out its petals.

"Then what do you want to talk about?"

"Where you were on Tuesday. Kankurou said you were making out with someone, but Kin thinks you were offered a stripper's job."

"…They said that?" Ino made a face and then wrote a mental note to talk to Kankurou and Kin later on in the week

Naruto nodded, silently chuckling as he recalled how Kankurou had turned around, his back facing them, and pretended to disturbingly kiss someone; after that, Kin imitated a stripper. Of course, she didn't take any clothing off, but she punched Kankurou because he slapped her butt.

"Well, they're wrong." Ino snapped. "I was not offered a stripper's job, nor was I making out with anyone."

"Then what'd you do?"

"Kakashi-sensei told me to work with another patient."

Naruto looked up, finally interested; the new flower lied limp in his hands, forgotten. "Who'd you work with?" he asked.

"It was a new patient," she wrote something else down on the paper, not looking up to face Naruto as he placed the plant back into the vase and gazed expectantly at his doctor. A new patient? Konoha hadn't had a new patient in a quite a while; it was always exciting when it happened though. Maybe that was why things were getting so hectic; Naruto's friends had told him of their doctors leaving for a day and then coming back the next day without an explanation as to where they went. Haku joked that they were abducted by aliens, but the younger patients had taken it seriously and caused a lot of trouble.

"How new?"

"He just arrived a few days ago," she replied. "Transferred over from Suna,"

_A new brother…_he mused, silently cheering; it was always nice to have more company. "How come I haven't seen him at lunch?" Naruto thought back to Monday when they had a food fight in the cafeteria; he hadn't seen a new face, and Naruto was quite familiar with all of the patients there at Konoha. Usually, the people in white usually allowed the newbies to wander about with a supervisor; they would get a tour of the buildings and rooms—except for the west wing because it was too dangerous—and then they would allow for the newbies to be assigned to one of the older patients. The older patient would then introduce them to the group, and then they would be accepted and taught how to survive in the crazy place.

"He's not allowed out of his room," Ino answered, finally looking up. "He's a bit unstable."

"Oh," Naruto said with a frown. It was unfortunate that his new brother was a caged bird; once the others found out, they would be quite angry. "Do you think he'll be released any time soon?"

"No," Ino shook her head. "Not with the way he's acting."

"Can we visit him?"

"Listen Naruto, we're getting off topic." Ino smiled at him, showing him that she was not mad with all of his questions. "We'll be off schedule if this continues. Let's talk about your father."

"What's there to talk about?" Naruto shrugged his shoulders for the third time, slouching down in his chair. "He's dead."

* * *

"Sasuke?" he heard the woman say his name once more; she had probably said it over a hundred times, not getting the hint that no matter how many times she flapped her lips, he would not answer.

_Leave me alone._

"I can h-help you, but only if you l-let me." That's what they all said, but he had yet to see one actually help him.

_I don't need your help._

"Your g-grandparents are probably worried about you."

_I don't ever want to see them._

She gazed at him with her strange colored eyes; funny, she actually looked as if she cared, but Sasuke knew better. She was probably just a good actor, using her innocent and clumsy look to try to get past his defenses; it wouldn't work though, because he had an evil step-sister who was just like her—manipulative and sneaky.

"Don't you want to go h-home and tell them that you're okay?"

_I don't want to go back._

"I read in your file that you have s-six other siblings that you live w-with; cousins right?" she asked. "D-don't you want t-to go home and play with t-them?"

_I hate my cousins._

"I bet they're l-lonely without you."

_They're celebrating my absence._

She tried a different approach; if his family members meant nothing to him, surely his friends did. "What about your friends?"

_I don't have any._

"They're probably m-missing you right now."

_Inexistent people can't miss me._

"Sasuke?"

He let a surge of detestation flow through his veins. _I hate that name._

* * *

Sakura knocked on the door and peeked inside hesitantly; the room was dark and silent, but she could hear raspy breathing in the corner. "Orochimaru?" she whispered, stepping inside and flipping on the light switch; nothing turned on. The light coming in from the open door could not show her what hid in the corner.

"Are you ready to apologize to Neji?" she asked, taking a small step inside. Sakura narrowed her eyes through the darkness, trying to see the older patient. "Orochimaru?"

She suddenly heard a growl and pounding footsteps; Sakura let out a quick yelp as she sprinted for the door, slamming it behind her. She could hear Orochimaru pound on the door and snarl maliciously, scratching at the metal. Sakura heard him turn the tables and chairs over and then a loud crunch and repeated thumps as he probably broke a leg off and used it to bang against the door. Sakura turned the lock and then slid down to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Guess not," she murmured, pressing a hand against her chest.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Kiba." Shino nodded towards the dog-loving person as he walked into the room.

"Where's Hinata?" Kiba growled menacingly, glaring at Shino. Kiba had seen the doctor walk around and talk with Hinata, and he didn't like the way Shino stared at her…

"I thought she had already explained the current situation to you."

Yes, it was true that she did tell him about how she was assigned to the new patient for Wednesdays and Fridays, but he had figured she was just joking around, messing with him. They did that a lot; the two joked around with each other most of the time. Sometimes, she would bring in treats or a snack for them to share, and other times, she would get permission for the two of them to go out to Konoha Park. They would sit under the big Sakura trees and just stare at the scenery which would be much prettier if the large, intimidating building wasn't blocking the view of the sun. That was how he was able to feel so comfortable with Hinata; it was because she didn't treat him like a crazy.

She made him feel _normal_.

"Well, let me reiterate." Shino quickly scribbled the date and Kiba's full name onto the sheet of paper; Kiba noticed that the creepy doctor's handwriting was neater than Hinata's, and he wrote in a straight line. Nevertheless, Kiba preferred his doctor's messy calligraphy any day.

"Today is a Wednesday; therefore she is currently with the new patient: Sasuke Uchiha," Shino said, writing down his thoughts and Kiba's words. He noticed that Kiba gave a slight snarl at the name Sasuke Uchiha. Before the maniac could get any crazier, Shino continued. "Don't worry, she'll be back tomorrow and I'll be out of your hair until Friday comes along."

Kiba cursed under his breath; he didn't like Shino. Not one bit.

Shino leaned back into the hard, wooden chair. "Well, putting the matter of Hinata aside, let's begin."

"I want my doctor." Kiba crossed his arms and glowered at Shino; the doctor seemed unfazed with the expression.

"She's busy," Shino said patiently. He knew Kiba's type; patients like him were quite fond of the people that had been monitoring them from day one; they trusted their original doctor more because they were the ones that had managed to get through the thick ice and into the patients' heart and mind. Hinata had been the one to make her way into Kiba, and so it was obvious that he would only let Hinata work with him.

"I don't care," Kiba replied irritably. "I want my doctor."

"For now, _I'm_ your doctor."

"_You're_ not my doctor."

Shino sighed; he hadn't realized beforehand how stubborn and annoying Kiba could get. Hinata did warn him of Kiba's behavior, but he didn't actually think Kiba would be so much like a _puppy_; unwilling to budge and as irritating as a dog could get. That was why his family had sent him to Konoha; they thought Kiba acted too much like a dog and that it was strange for him to have more canine friends than human friends; besides that, he was too violent for his own good and he was probably in dire need of anger management. The last time Shino had saw Kiba, it was with Hinata; Kiba did glare at him at first, but with Hinata there, the man relaxed and acted in a friendly manner. This time, Hinata was not there to calm the boiling anger, and the only person Shino had to depend on was himself.

The night before, he had lied in his bed and thought about the things he would say and the responses he could receive from Kiba. None of the responses bode well with Shino, for each contained Kiba picking something up and slamming it down on Shino or stabbing him with it; after all, Hinata told him how violent Kiba tended to be. It was only natural for Shino to be a bit tense about Kiba's aggressive side; any normal doctor would have the same reaction.

"Kiba, please, calm down," Shino told him. "I'm only here on Wednesdays and Fridays; Hinata will be right back tomorrow. There's no need to get upset."

"You're not my doctor."

"For today, I _am _your doctor so will you please sit down and—"

"You're not my doctor!" Kiba yelled heatedly, flipping the table over in frustration. Part of Shino wasn't expecting the violent motion, but the other half of his brain had already thought of the possibility the night before; because he was partially prepared, Shino jumped up and ran towards the door just a split second before Kiba slammed a chair down on the spot the doctor had just sat in; the wood broke into millions of pieces and was sent flying in every which direction. Though it stabbed both men, neither took notice; Kiba grabbed another chair and Shino unlocked the door, his life on the line.

Opening it, he yelled, "Get some sedates in here! Now!" He had forgotten to step out into the hallway and close the door where he would've been much safer; as a result of his carelessness, Kiba had brought a chair down onto Shino. He could feel the lumber smash into his skin, piercing his flesh with splinters; pain erupted from his back and then made its way up his arms and down his chest. His sunglasses flew off of his face and bright lights penetrated his eyes; darkness dropped onto Shino's world as he fell to the ground.

* * *

Hinata slumped in her chair, staring at the person opposite of her; she watched Sasuke silently as he stared at the ceiling, ignoring her very existence. Hinata checked her watch; it said 12:22. Lunch was at 1:00; soon, she would be able to take a break from the infuriating man who was probably counting the cracks on the tiles or numbering the seconds that passed by. Sometimes, she hated her job so much.

This was one of those times.

He was worse than Kiba; Sasuke didn't say a word to her, he didn't make any unkind gestures, he didn't do anything! When she had first met Kiba, all she had to do was step inside before Kiba snarled, "What are you doing here?!" At least she got a response from Kiba; that gave her something to work with. With Sasuke, there was nothing; no words, no insults, no middle fingers; he just sat there, waiting for her to leave and never come back, waiting for her to give up. That's what she wanted to do, but she knew that if she went home right then, then she would prove to him that she didn't care, that she was just there for the paycheck.

She couldn't do that; she couldn't make a bad name for Konoha. Hinata dearly loved the asylum she worked at; the doctors and nurses were friendly to her, and each offered help when she need them most. In a way, they were sort of like family, and she couldn't degrade the family name. Still, if she wasn't going anywhere, then maybe she should take a break and then come back afterwards, feeling refreshed and with a clearer mind. Besides, her butt was hurting and her legs were asleep; a little exercise would wake her up.

"Sasuke, I-I'll be right back." She stood up and took the keys out of her pocket. "I-I'm going to have an e-early lunch; if you want, I'll ask the nurses to give you your l-lunch now instead of waiting for the lunch period to b-begin." Just as she suspected, Sasuke said nothing. He only stared at her with dead crimson eyes; she figured he was quietly jumping up and down inside, happy that she was leaving.

"I'll come back and we can c-continue this." Hinata unlocked the door and stepped out, remembering to lock it before she walked down the hallway towards the cafeteria.

* * *

"Bring some more sedates!" Genma yelled, waving his arms in the air and pointing in the direction of Kiba's room, directing the traffic of nurses and doctors with his voice and hands. "We need more sedates!" he repeated.

"Strap him down!" Shizune shouted, tackling Kiba to the floor.

"Get Rock Lee and Gai over here, pronto!" Gekkou ordered, pausing to give a violent cough.

"Pin his arms!" Jiraiya commanded, lunging for the crazed man's limbs. "Grab his legs!"

"He's losing too much blood!" Kabuto warned, jumping out of the room into the hallway. "Bring the first aid kits and get the medical doctors down here!_ Now_!"

* * *

Hinata stepped inside her office, letting a small smile slip onto her face as the cool air and the smell of lavender flowers greeted her. Finally, she was away from "The Wall"—a.k.a. Sasuke. Now, she could rest in peace. Hinata walked around her desk and sat down in her big, comfy chair; her job was starting to look up already.

Looking to her left, she saw her purple bag; she quietly reprimanded herself for forgetting her purse. Sakura and Ino had chastised her many times for not having her bag with her; Hinata's money was in it, and her cell phone and her make-up materials, too. Her two friends told her to carry it around with her; they said that they might need to call her for something important in the distant future.

Hinata picked up her purse and opened it; she took out her cell phone and flipped it open.

**You have missed one phone call.**


	3. Difficulties

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* * *

**

Haha, your reviews are killing me! Lol, I have a lot of fun reading them, so thank you, thank you, thank you! I can only wish that I have more free time rathan than just six or five hours, and of those hours, only two or three are probably dedicated to the computer. Well, as I've stated in my profile, school is back and I probably won't be updating as much.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. Neither do I have any psychological or medical knowledge. **

**All story information will be posted in my profile under the story title so stop on by should you wish to take a look at how the chapter's progressing! Or if you want to see what's holding up an update, it's all in my profile.**

**Oh yeah, before I forget, -this means scene change, though I'm sure you know-, and this means flash black, but I'm sure you could've figured it out without me telling you. Ah, and I apologize for any mistakes you may find; I tried my best to look for any errors...and I got bored very quickly...**

Speak

_Difficulties_

"We're losing him doctor!" Ayame shouted, desperately staring at the red headed man; she could see sweat beads sliding down his face. Though his bright red eyes showed no anxiety, she could tell that he was waging a war inside; panic against his better judgment.

Kurenai turned towards the heart monitor, gasping in fear at what she saw. "His vitals are dropping!"

"He's bleeding profoundly!" Asuma stared at the immense blood seeping out of the black haired man's back with nervousness.

"We have to remove the wood!"

"Not without risking damage to the spine!"

"Doctor," Kurenai cried. "We're losing him!"

* * *

"Sakura, did you reach her?" Ino asked; her blue eyes were red and puffy from crying.

Sakura shook her head regretfully. "No, I left a message on her cell phone; I think she forgot it in her office again."

Ino stifled a sob, collapsing in the leather chair of the waiting room; Sakura sat down beside her and placed an arm around her friend's shoulder. It was hard for both of them; Shino was like an older brother; to see him so bloody and on the brink of death scared them into thinking the unthinkable.

"How is he?" Sakura questioned quietly. While she was trying to reach Hinata, Ino had gone to find the doctor to see how Shino was faring.

"I don't know," Ino whispered. "The doctor's still in the O.R. with him."

Silence dropped around them; they listened to the doctors quietly conversing with each other, and the parents and siblings cry. They had never thought that they would be in such a situation, that they would be waiting and worried about their brother-like friend because he was badly wounded. Years ago, if someone had told them that Kiba would push Shino to the edge of death, they would've just laughed and dismissed the thought because it seemed so unlikely; Shino was strong and calm, smart and brilliant; he knew how to slip his way out of hard situations, and he took karate lessons in his spare time. The thought of him being in the hospital was just so dubious! Now they knew better though; no matter how much training Shino did, no matter how many black belts he received, he was still human.

"Sakura…?" Ino began quietly, bringing her cold hands together.

"Yeah?" Sakura replied just as softly.

"Are you scared?"

Sakura nodded slightly, biting her bottom lip; she didn't bother masking her tears. "Yeah,"

"Me too," Ino agreed faintly.

"Sakura?" the blonde began again. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

It took a few minutes before the pink haired doctor answered. "Would you believe me if I lied?"

Ino pressed her hands to her face, feeling the warm tears fall. "No," she clenched her eyes closed as if the darkness would protect her from the image of her friend on the cart, blood covering every inch of his body. "I wouldn't believe you."

* * *

"What's going on?" Naruto pressed his face against the glass window, staring at the many people running down the halls, yelling and screaming. "Did something happen?"

"I bet it was Temari," Kankurou said, laughing as he took apart the large horse the doctors had given him to keep him occupied. "I haven't seen them this excited since she stabbed that doctor with the pen a few years ago."

"Loser," Kin rolled her eyes. "Temari's been moved to the west wing."

"Maybe its Deidara then,"

"He's been discharged last week." Haku said, combing his hair; he then gave the brush to Kin who quietly accepted it with a nod of thanks.

"That lunatic?" Kankurou exclaimed, a mischievous smile in his eyes. "I'm willing to bet anything that he'll be back here in less than five days!"

"Four," Kin grinned. "If I win, I'll give you…Chuckles, and if you win, you give me Karasu."

"You're on." The two shook hands, smirking at the other confidently.

Naruto pressed his ear against the cool material, closing his eyes as he concentrated on listening to the doctors' voices. Everyone there at Konoha Mental Facility was family; not by blood, but each "crazy person" felt a strong urge to protect their fellow inmates. It was an immense connection, because they knew that they only had each other. They knew that every person outside of their white prison, family members and all, believed that they were mentally insane; the doctors inside the cage was there to make sure that they ended up like every other person in the world—_normal_. But as they were growing up, teachers told them it was okay to be different; parents hugged them and told them that they were _unique_ and that they shouldn't act like everyone else.

Which was the truth? The same people that sent them to their hell were the same people that told them it was okay to be unusual. Now, the doctors were telling them that there was something wrong with them, that they were broken, that they weren't normal.

Who was telling the truth?

"Naruto?" Haku's voice brought the yellow haired boy back to reality.

Naruto opened his eyes and turned around, facing his friends; they stared at him in worry. Out of all of the crazies there at Konoha, Naruto was probably the one who was most sensitive to what happens to his brothers and sisters. He never had any siblings, and his only guardian died when Naruto was just fourteen; his step-father's death cut him deeply, but it also made him much more grateful for the friends he had, for his new family.

"Can you hear them?" Kankurou asked.

"Almost," Naruto nodded, pressing the side of his face against the glass once more; the others did the same, listening intently.

Which family member was in trouble this time?

* * *

"Nee-san,"

Temari ignored her brother's voice; instead, she continued to stare at the pinkish-red lines on her left arm, tracing them with her index finger. She remembered how she received each cut down to the very detail of the flooring; she recalled all the thoughts that raced through her head, how fast her heart was beating, and how the light gleamed off of the silver surface of the knife. She even remembered how the blood swirled down her arm, staining her skin a beautiful red; she let out a soft sigh, feeling a strange emptiness in her chest.

"Nee-san,"

"What is it?" Temari asked, slightly irritated; she gazed up at her brother from where she sat on the cold ground.

"A ruckus is forming," Gaara said calmly, turning his head towards the metal door that trapped them inside. "Somewhere in the east wing,"

Looking around, Temari saw that everyone had stopped what they were doing; they were all staring at the barred door and windows, listening intently to the faint sound of screams echoing down the hallway. Silence engulfed the room; it was the only time they were quiet. Hearing the yells of their brothers and sisters shouting and shrieking always brought a sense of quietness to them; no matter how far away the screeches were from the west wing, it would bounce down the hallways until it reached the other side of the building. It was as if the building was alive, carrying the roars to the person's family, letting all hear the cries of anger and agony. None would dare joke during the time of silence.

"Can you recognize the voice?" Zori asked, turning towards Dosu. Dosu had been there at Konoha the longest; he knew every crack and corner and every doctor and patient like the back of his hand.

Dosu step forward towards the door, pressing his ear through the bars. Everyone gazed at Dosu's bandaged face, anxiously waiting for his answer; normally, there would never be any real problems in the east wing. Their brothers and sisters who stayed over there were the ones that had a better chance of leaving; they were the ones the doctors had deemed with the "potential of becoming normal."

"Dosu?"

Dosu moved back from the door and faced his fellow kin. "It seems we are going to have a new roommate."

* * *

Sasuke stared outside the window, watching as two bushy-eye browed freaks passed by in a hurry; behind them was an army of nurses and doctors, running just as fast to get to their destination. The people on the sidelines pressed to the walls to keep from getting in their way and in their wrath.

_Where are they going…?_ He wondered as he watched them disappear; the co-workers resumed what they were doing, muttering to each other and turning to worriedly gaze in the direction the hysteric doctors had ran in.

_I guess someone is causing trouble._

His curiosity quickly faded when realization dawned on him; if they were all busy, then it could possibly mean that he wouldn't have to deal with the annoying people for quite a while. He silently smirked at the thought. A day without irksome people sounded very peaceful to him; well, peaceful and boring.

Though the doctors did have frustrating questions that would annoy even the most patient of men, it was very funny to watch them pull their hair out in aggravation when Sasuke refused to say a word. It was the only thing that kept him sane through the days. When the doctors were there, he had something to do—sort of; the good thing was that it was hilarious to watch them suffer, but even if it was amusing, there was really nothing to do as they asked him questions. The "pulling-my-hair-out" thing became boring after the first few times. In a way, the doctors being there was a good and bad thing—though mostly bad—and the doctors not being there pretty much had the same result.

Sasuke inwardly sighed.

There was no one to talk to.

There was no comforting company.

It was just Sasuke, Silence, and Loneliness.

* * *

"Kiba, please, calm down!" Rock Lee grunted as he, Gai, and Jiraiya pinned the shouting man down to the ground.

"Where are the sedatives I asked for?!" Shizune yelled down the hall, disturbing many doctors.

Kiba let out a string of curses, using all of his might to yank his arms and legs out of their grip; the three men yelped in surprise, their hold on him loosening for a couple of seconds. Kiba, seeing his chance, grabbed the split moment to push them off and run towards the door—his only exit.

"Someone grab him!" Kabuto ordered, racing to block off the entrance. "Don't let him leave!"

A trail of blood followed Kiba, flowing down his clothes; his mind was starting to feel the effects of the immense blood loss. The room began spinning and he felt weak; his stomach churned, wanting to vomit whatever was in it, and he finally noticed the pain that sprouted every time he moved.

"Where are the medical doctors?!" Gekkou howled from the hallway.

_I'll kill you Sasuke Uchiha._

* * *

They didn't understand; none of them understood him. Kiba could hear the doctors yell for the M.D.'s and first aid medical kits and more personnel, but he couldn't care less. The only person he cared about was Hinata Hyuuga, his savior, his angel; but that was exactly it. She was _his_, and no one else's.

_Especially_ not Sasuke Uchiha's!

Kiba would rather see Hinata drop dead than watch as she cuddled with _Sasuke_; she wasn't meant for the disgusting worm. If she was with him, it would certainly end horribly; Sasuke would probably bring a chair down onto her, much like Kiba did with Shino. That was different, though; Shino deserved it, Hinata doesn't.

If only he could see her once more, before those _idiots_ caged him into the west wing with his other brothers and sisters; of course, it was always nice to see them, but he didn't want Hinata to walk so far to meet him for their daily conferences—well, it wasn't daily any more, for _Sasuke_ had _invaded_ it like a leech.

Repulsive parasite…

_I'll murder him in his sleep._

* * *

"_H-Hinata," Sakura paused, and Hinata heard the pink haired woman stifle a sob. "G-get to the Light Memorial Hospital, q-quickly." Hinata had been surprised to hear Sakura, the beautiful doctor who rarely cried or stuttered, sound so frightened and uptight. Normally, Sakura, like Shino, would keep her cool even in the eyes of obstacles; listening to her so agitated scared Hinata. It told her that something terrible must've happened to shake her up so badly._

"_It's…Its S-Shino," Sakura whispered, choking on her tears. "H-he's in the hospital."_

_Hinata's heart hammered in her chest; she clutched at her shirt, forcing herself to breathe deeply. She hadn't noticed that she fell to the ground; her knees were crying out in agony for it had slammed against the hard floor with much force._

"_S-something happened when he was with K-Kiba,"_

_The room seemed to get tighter, and her breathing was starting to get raspy; sweat drops slid down the side of her face, and her vision was blurring. Hinata bit down on her lip, tasting the copper flavor of the red liquid as it trickled down her lip and into her mouth. She licked her lip; her eyes cleared up, and the room stopped moving in._

"_H-Hinata, hurry," Sakura pleaded desperately on the other line. "Hurry,"_

Hinata panted heavily as she ran, sucking in as much air as possible while forcing her legs to move; she wiped the perspiration with the back of her hand. She had been running for ten minutes straight; the doctor was not used to that much exercise, for her occupation did not require any stressful muscle activity. She was beginning to think that taking the metro to work instead of her car was a bad idea. Already, she was feeling weak; her body screamed for a rest and a cold bottle of water, but she couldn't stop, not yet. The bitter fall wind bit her at her bare skin, but she ignored it with all of her might; all of that was insignificant. The wind, her pain; it was trivial compared to the pain her friend was probably going through.

_Shino!_

It was the only thing that kept her going; the thought of seeing her friend, hopefully alive and well. Sakura's message replayed in her head for the thousandth time. How could she have been so _stupid_? She felt deep guilt for accepting Kakashi's suggestion to switch patients; maybe she should've told Kiba to behave…or even better, she could've visited Kiba during her lunch break! Everything was all of her fault; she could've done something to prevent the horrible accident that had happened!

Finally, she saw the tall buildings of Light Memorial Hospital; it had been named after the founder, Mahiru Light. The Light Memorial Hospital had the best doctors even though it was recently made; only about four years ago was it first created. Though it was still new, the patients' chances for survival was a high 87, but it was quite expensive; still, the hospital usually had many patients delivered every day.

Hinata pushed through the large double doors, breathing heavily. A couple of nurses passed by; one was pushing a patient who sat quietly in a wheelchair, while the other lady stared at a clipboard, murmuring things to her co-worker. To Hinata's left was a waiting room filled with people with all kinds of diseases; to her right was a locked door with a sign that said, "**Employees only!**" She suddenly spotted the front desk; frantically, she rushed towards it, making sure not to bump into anyone that should pass by.

"_**Doctor Light, you're wanted in the O.R. on the third floor. Doctor Light, you're wanted in the O.R. on the third floor."**_ The announcer sounded female, and she seemed tired, but Hinata took no notice of her words. The purple haired woman stopped at the desk, pausing a moment to catch her breath as the lady behind the counter gazed at Hinata with curiosity.

"Can I help you?" she asked politely, giving Hinata a smile.

"I'm looking for Shino A-Aburame." Hinata returned the kind gesture with a small beam of her own; she was slightly red in the face from all of the running.

The woman nodded and searched through a small stack of papers, taking out a sheet and scanning it; after a few seconds, she looked back up. "He's currently in the O.R.; if you will, please make your way to the third floor waiting room. Elevator's to your left."

"Do y-you know when he'll be out?" Hinata asked, desperation seeping into her voice and eyes. The stranger noticed her anguish and sadly shook her head.

"I apologize, ma'am, but I don't know for sure." She watched as Hinata's face fell deeper into despair.

"Do not worry though," the woman said quickly. "If I had to guess, he'd probably be out in another hour or so."

"_**Doctor Nara, please report to room 408. Doctor Nara, please report to room 408."**_

With a dejected sigh, Hinata whispered her thanks and headed for the elevators, following the woman's instructions.

_He's still in the operating room…_

Hinata had silently wished that her friend was lying in a soft bed with nurses to attend to his every whim as if he was a king; it had made her feel much better, thinking that Shino was okay, that Shino was alive. Learning that he was still in the operating room, it scared her; what if something went wrong? What if the doctors made a mistake and Shino would…_die_? She couldn't take anymore losses; her father was already dead, and her mother passed away long ago; she lost her cousin Neji, and Hanabi had moved overseas to study law. If she lost Shino, she didn't know if she would really fall down to never stand up again.

_Shino, please be okay._ Without noticing it, she had stepped into the elevator and pressed the button, lost in thought; when she heard the ding, Hinata looked up, slightly surprised that she was already on the third floor. Stepping out, she turned to her right and saw two hulky, white doors; through the small windows, she could see many people, possibly even more than the sick people she had seen downstairs. From the looks of it, they were all teary-eyed and some were even sobbing in their sleep!

She quietly opened the door, seeing two familiar people curled up on a couch, sleeping against each other like little kids. Hinata stood in front of them, staring at Sakura and Ino as she tried her very best not to cry.

They looked so small; they didn't look like confident adults who helped people every day. They looked vulnerable. They looked _human_.

Gazing at them, she finally realized how defenseless they were; how defenseless Shino was; how exposed everyone was, every person that stood around her. Everyone there in that hospital was able to die; each and every human there on the Earth were all susceptible to death.

Hinata finally realized how sad it was.

Even after the death of her father, she still didn't understand how heartbreaking it was; it was so easy to fall to the clutches of death. It was so easy to collapse into the arms of darkness, embrace it, and then just wither away.

Hinata dropped to the ground and silently cried; she couldn't take the weight. Death was a terrible thing in her eyes; it was a tragic topic. Many didn't comprehend the fact that death was distressing; to be sliced in half by the grim reaper's scythe was not a joking matter. Once you left, once you died, you couldn't come back; all of your loved ones would have to move on without you, and then eventually, they would forget. She was finally aware of the fact that not everyone could be saved.

She just hoped that Shino was one of the lucky ones.

* * *

Ayame took a cloth and wiped Sasori's forehead with it, staring at him in concern. He had been working nonstop, trying his best to swerve past obstacles; a few times, there had been sharp turns and moments where all seemed hopeless, but they made it through all right.

"How are his vitals?" Sasori asked, keeping his eyes on Shino.

Kurenai smiled thankfully. "Steady," she answered.

"He's a strong kid," Asuma grinned, chuckling. "Not many could undergo such a surgery."

"You can say that again," Ayame laughed, dabbing at Sasori's forehead once more.

"We're finished here," Sasori said softly. "Nice work everyone,"

Ayame and Asuma beamed, puffing out their chest. The young doctor was not one to compliment often; when he did praise them though, they took it straight to heart, for Sasori was not one to sugarcoat things. His expectations were no less than perfect. Many said that even though Sasori was so young, he was, by far, the toughest doctor in Light Hospital; he was probably the most merciless, too.

"Doctor," Kurenai whispered with wide eyes. She saw it, Shino's life force seeping down the side of his mouth like a silent, tainted river.

Asuma took in a quick breath and held it.

"Blood is seeping out…from his mouth." Ayame said; her eyes couldn't leave the stream staining his skin. It was so red, and it looked so innocent; at the same time, it looked so _evil_.

"He's bleeding internally!" Asuma let out his held breath and turned to stare at Sasori, awaiting instructions.

Kurenai turned to the machines, the only thing that told them if Shino was well. "Vitals are falling!"

"Open him up!"

"We just finished operating on him; he won't survive another!"

"We have to do _something_!"


	4. But a Word

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto and its characters.**

**Finally! Something happening between Sasuke and Hinata! Haha, scroll down to take a peek!  
**

Speak

_But a Word_

_Drip…_

_Drop…_

_Drip…_

_Drip…_

It was raining. Each tear plopped to the ground with a little noise, providing music in the background. From the Heavens, black was all that Angels could see; the depressing color stretched all around, covering the green grass and the brown dirt, dominating over the faint noise of the preacher reading from the Bible. Muffled cries echoed; rain mixed with rain; cries mixed with cries.

And all was dead.

All was dead, just like the beloved doctor, friend, and loved one that would sleep in the coffin forever more, never to open his eyes and see the smiles; never to speak calm words full of love and advice; never to be alive—never again.

Hinata could remember staying up all night discussing with him about anything and everything. Sometimes he would come over for dinner, and then he'd end up sleeping over because it was too late at night for him to leave. She remembered everything about him; his face was etched into her mind--the feel of his soft hair; she'd always stand on her tip toes and rub his head, but he'd always protest and say that it was embarrassing and that he was not a little kid. She knew that he didn't mind though; if he did, he would've brushed her hand away, but he never did. She could recall his stupid sunglasses that he wore anywhere and in any type of weather; rain or snow, cloudy or sunny, the ugly spectacles would be on his face, hiding his eyes.

But there was one thing that panicked her. She couldn't recall it. She couldn't bring it back to her ears. It was gone—his voice. She couldn't remember it; the exact way it sounded; the exact pitch; the exact tone; she couldn't piece it together. The real thing was too perfect and no matter how she imagined it, it wasn't the same; his voice wasn't the same in her mind.

He had loved bugs; even in death, he probably still does. When they were kids, he dressed up as a praying mantis for Halloween; they were his favorite species. He said that they were powerful, and honorable; she had questioned him, wondering how bugs were honorable; he had replied that bugs were just like human beings. They could cry; they could be sad; they could hurt and scream; they could be happy too, and they could laugh. He had said that humans just couldn't hear it.

"_If you listen really hard, Hinata, you can hear them." _

"_Really?"_

"_Really."_

Hinata was sure that the bugs were crying right at that moment; Shino was practically a savior to them. Whenever he walked, he would stare down at the ground, making sure that he wouldn't kill a bug in the process of moving from point A to point B. When he was in the third grade, he had knocked a fifth grader off his feet because upperclassman had sprayed water on an anthill.

Hinata recalled the time she had seen him shed tears; it was the only time she had seen him cry. She had been five at the time; he was six; even then, she loved him like a brother. Shino was outside, sitting on the swings, sobbing and shaking as if the world was going to end; seeing him like that, it broke her heart. Without even knowing why he was crying, she started crying too. He could've been wailing about the dumbest thing on Earth, but it wouldn't matter to her; she'd bawl, too; she'd hurt, too.

Death had been swift with its scythe; death had taken away her brother mercilessly, killing him overnight. The doctors told her that they couldn't save him, that there was nothing they could do; she had wished, she had prayed, she had hoped so much that he would live. So why? Why did he die?

Why was he taken from her?

Sakura and Ino stepped up, placing their white flowers on the brown coffin, saying their last good byes to Shino; they bent down and placed a kiss on the tomb, brushing their hand across it lovingly.

"Bye Shino," Ino whispered, stifling a sob. "Take care of yourself, ne?"

"You're such a loser, Shino," Sakura wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, but the tears kept coming; the rain wouldn't stop. "You better take off those ugly sunglasses in the afterlife."

Kakashi kneeled in front of Shino's casket, placing his own white flowers on it; he whispered a few quiet words. "You were a good man, Shino; I pray that your soul rests in peace." He recalled the time Shino had first come to apply for the job; at first, Kakashi was unsure. His first impression of Shino was that he was ill and that there had to be something wrong with him, but he was wrong; Shino was a wonderful doctor, one of Konoha's best. Shino was there for the patient; he understood the person he was helping, and his few words were enough to move a heart to tears.

"Rest in peace, Shino," Kakashi let a smile slip onto his face, though no one could see it because of the bandana. "You deserve it." Standing up, Kakashi turned and walked towards Hinata; he squeezed her shoulder gently, silently telling her that he was there, and he would listen to anything she had to get off her chest.

Slowly, Hinata strolled to the bed Shino would never move from; she collapsed to the muddy ground, her black dressed stained with the soil Shino was returning to. She placed her own flower among the other white plants, though hers was a beautiful red and purple orchid; she knew that Shino would be happy to receive such a lovely flower; after all, it was his and his mother's favorite. Hinata wrapped her arms as best she could around the large coffin; closing her eyes and placing the side of face against the cold and wet wood. She felt the wind brush her hair and wrap itself around her, and she hoped so badly that it was Shino's spirit trying to comfort her, trying to tell her that he was okay.

"Say hi to Mrs. Aburame for me," she told him quietly; the wind kissed her cheek in reply. The tears came once more, flowing freely down her face, mixing with the tears of the Heavens above. Her chest seemed to be on fire and in the back of her mind, she worried that she was going to get splinters from laying on the wood, but she felt comfortable hugging the tomb; it made her feel as though she was really hugging Shino.

Hinata could practically feel his strong, warm arms embrace her.

* * *

Sasuke watched as the purple haired girl hugged the brown box as if the world was going to end tomorrow; for her, it probably ended when she realized that the doctor—his name began something with an S, but Sasuke wasn't sure—had died and would never come back. Truthfully, Sasuke didn't care much for him, mainly because he had never met the man; even if he did, he probably wouldn't care. Doctors were stupid, especially psychiatrists. He glanced around him for a moment; there were security officers standing around, making sure that none of the patients tried to make a run for the escape. The doctors had made all of the patients there at Konoha—except for the injured and sick—attend the funeral of a man that most of the prisoners probably didn't even know or care about. Sasuke thought it was a waste of time and that it would only taint everyone's mind with death.

Tilting his head towards the sky, he closed his eyes and allowed the rain to slide down his face, kissing and caressing as rain was meant to do; it reminded him much of his mother's death. Just like that day, it was drizzling down the gray crystals; he remembered his mother had told him that rain was blue and was made of love.

"_Did you know, Sasuke, that when clouds cry, it cries for everyone that died?"_

Sasuke had always hated the rain; Sasuke thought that it was depressing and too gloomy for his tastes, but he recalled how his mother had been so happy when it rained. Her beautiful smile would appear on her face when the skies cried; the heavenly grin was warmer than the sun, brighter than the stars, and more beautiful than any Angel; he felt his heart ache. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, trying so hard to see the blue in the rain, trying so hard to feel the love that his mother had felt when she danced in the rain.

Nothing happened; he felt no love and he saw no blue.

Everything was justl a dull gray, just a depressing gray that seemed to haunt him even in his sleep.

Sasuke saw the woman stand up, and a brown haired male in a patient's uniform step towards her and hugged her; her arms encircled him, and Sasuke gazed as she began to shake violently as she cried. Her legs seemed to give in, as if they lost the will to stand; the male managed to catch her before she fell to the ground and dirty her dress even further.

Sasuke's hand twitched, and he unconsciously clenched it into a fist; the scent of lilies filled his mind.

His mother had smelled of lilies.

Looking around, he noticed that the guards were too preoccupied with grieving to realize if someone slipped away; taking his chance, Sasuke walked off in no particular direction. Just as he had hoped and suspected, security did not even feel his presence pass by.

As he allowed his feet to take him where they pleased, music began playing in his mind: it was his mother's favorite band. She would listen to it 24/7, even if his father disapproved, saying that it was just a bunch of useless racket that foolish people made. Sasuke himself wasn't a fan of music, taking after his dad; rather, in his free time, Sasuke would read poetry—he had taken a liking to poems from his mother. During winter, he remembered how they would sit by the fire, blankets wrapped around each other, a cup of hot chocolate for the both of them on the table; they would read Edgar Allen Poe's dark yet entertaining poems. His mother would sometimes laugh at something she thought was funny; Sasuke would join in her laughter, not even knowing why they were laughing. Just the fact that she was amused would cause him to chortle, too.

He wondered if she still thought about the times they spent together, even in death.

He wondered if he would one day join her soon, join her in the place she was watching him from.

Suddenly, his feet stopped, and he found himself standing in front of a silver tomb with a cross embedded into the side. He didn't even have to read it to know what it said; just like the cross was imprinted in the stone, the words were carved into his heart.

**RIP**

**Mikoto Uchiha**

**1958-1993**

**Beloved Wife and Mother**

**Though You Are Gone, Your Spirit Will Forever Be With Us**

**May You Rest In Peace**

Sasuke couldn't tell if he was crying or if the rain was just playing tricks on him. Bending down, he placed his rough hand on the smooth surface of the gravestone; crimson intertwined with gray, sliding down the monument.

There were no thoughts running through his head; he couldn't feel the pain one would normally feel after piercing their palm. His mind was blank; he was numb. Words seemed like such a foreign concept; the frozen feeling, on the other hand, was quite familiar. Sasuke felt cold and empty; sometimes, he would imagine a hole where his heart would be. A lot of days, he truly felt that his heart had been ripped out. The empty feeling had returned, making him feel as though he was in an enclosed space; it was too hard to explain in words.

The empty feeling that seemed to dominant his other emotion-- it would not leave completely. Whenever it disappeared, it would always return, bringing its friends. Sometimes, Sasuke wished it would just stay in one place rather than vanish and then reappear; it'd make things a whole lot easier for him. Instead of hoping that he was finally rid of the strange numbness, it'd be so much easier to not hope and to know that it was always there; that was hard when it kept waning.

"Is…is that your mother…?" a soft voice asked quietly from behind him. Sasuke said nothing; nor did he move. He was afraid that if he tried, his legs wouldn't obey and he'd end up collapsing.

"Mikoto—that's a pretty n-name."

Sasuke heard the person sniff; by the strain in her tone, he could tell that she was trying with all of her might to suppress the sobs that were threatening to break loose and run wild.

"Do you miss her?"

A strange feeling welled up in his chest; it felt a lot like the regular emptiness that usually occurred, but at the same time, it was different—it was warm, yet cold in a way. He didn't understand the emotion, and he didn't understand why he was feeling it as a result of a simple question.

"Y-you can cry, you know," she whispered. "No one w-will know because of the r-rain."

_I can't cry._ Sasuke thought, his left hand's knuckles turning white as his nails dug deeper into his flesh. _I can't._

He heard her step towards him, slow and quiet; she bent down beside him; he could feel her body heat radiating off of her. Sasuke glanced at Hinata; her hair was matted to her face, and her eyes were red and puffy from all the tears they produced. There were bags under her eyes, and she looked pale and abnormally skinny, as if she hadn't been eating or getting out much. He turned his attention back to his mother's grave, a scowl on his face.

"I still c-can't believe Shino is…g-gone," she said quietly. "I keep t-thinking someone's going to j-jump out and yell 'Surprise.'"

_I keep thinking that, too._ Sasuke sighed mentally; he forced himself to unclench his hand. His blood mixed with the rain, but he took no notice; Hinata saw a flash of red, and looked down, seeing the wounds he caused. She said nothing though, fearing he would get mad if she started getting "mother-like," as her colleagues would say.

"It's hard to bear w-with the death of a loved one, huh?" she asked, her hand reaching out to trace the letters carved into the stone. "Y-you were seven, w-weren't you?" It was more of a statement rather than a question, but Sasuke didn't answer. "That must've been especially hard. I was seven, too, when my father died."

_She loved her father._ Sasuke could tell by the way she spoke of her father's death; he must've been a good person. Sasuke remembered his own father; Mr. Uchiha didn't approve of anything Sasuke did, nothing at all. There was always something wrong with Sasuke; something had to be wrong. His father referred to him as the "accident baby," stupid and imperfect; so very flawed, unlike the oldest son, Itachi. Sasuke felt his heart ache; he had loved his brother very much; their father loved Itachi even more. But that was why Sasuke had turned to his mother; she was kind, and beautiful, and she thought he was perfect and smart and handsome. He remembered how she would rub his hair and then make a fuss about how he was such a messy boy. At night, Mikoto would tuck Sasuke in and sit in a chair beside the bed, smiling at him; she would tell him how he would grow up to be a wonderful gentlemen, good-looking and successful, and how the two of them and Itachi would go to America and eat American food.

It had never happened though.

Mikoto Uchiha died before it could happen.

And soon after, Fugaku Uchiha suffered from depression for five years before his life ended.

"He was n-never around much—my dad," she said softly. "But he was a good man. My little sister w-was especially fond o-of him. I remember how she w-would leave a message on his c-cell-phone every night before we went t-to bed. I was too tired to do so, because I w-was swamped with work even back then."

The two didn't notice how the rain had lessened its poundings and screams; now, it was just a light drizzle. A gray mist was beginning to rise from the ground, but it hung around their ankles, nothing more. Hinata was caught up in her memories; she hadn't thought back to her childhood for so long. Sasuke was silent, listening to her story. She seemed to have a rather happy childhood; it sounded as if she didn't have too many problems to deal with.

_She's lucky, _he thought; he could feel jealousy seeping into his heart, but he forcibly kicked it out. It was too late to feel any type of jealousy; what's done has been done. His childhood was mostly filled with recollections he did not wish to remember, but even so, it would not change, and envying another for their more joyful memories would not do him any good.

"I don't remember my mom." Hinata said suddenly; her voice was barely above a whisper. Sasuke could feel his stomach lurch; he hadn't heard the word being said for a long, long time. He had no idea how much it hurt to hear it.

"I don't have a-any memories with her. I was too young back then, when she died; s-sometimes, I lay awake, imagining the things she could've said to me when I was five. I-I think about what she might've looked like back t-then, and how s-she would hug me and squeeze me and laugh. But, e-even though I can't remember her face or her voice, s-strange enough, I remember h-her scent. She smelled a-a lot like lilies…"

Quickly and quietly, Sasuke's head tilted to the right slightly to face Hinata; her mother had smelled of lilies, just like his mom. In many ways, Hinata was a lot like him, but they were very different, too. Hinata had been through the deaths of her parents, but she turned out to be happy. She wasn't like Sasuke; Sasuke was bitter, and he hated his life and his name and the cursed memories that haunted his dreams and every waking moment. There was not one day that he wished for a regular life, a life without the painful reminiscences.

"It's funny, huh—funny in a w-weird way."

The word came out of his mouth before he realized what he was doing; it was as if he was under hypnosis. The flowery fragrance filled his nostrils and clouded his brain, causing his senses to go haywire; his vision blurred, though he didn't know whether it was because of the rain or not.

"Lilies…" the words was faint, but it was there. Hinata caught it before the wind swept it away.

The purple-haired doctor smiled; she felt sad, but she felt happy too. Shino died, and she knew that she would never get over the fact that he did, but he had left her with a wonderful gift: he gave her an opportunity to get to know Sasuke Uchiha—the Wall.

He spoke. He had only said one word, but he had said something.

He had spoken.

"You…like lilies, Sasuke…?" Hinata asked; Sasuke didn't answer, though Hinata had hoped that he would. Hinata turned back to the gravestone and waited with him in silence; the only sound they could hear was the soft raindrops and their own breathing. Minutes later, Hinata stood up and held her hand out to him. She flashed him another smile, hoping that he would get the message—_Get out of your shell._

"Let's go back," she said. "Before we catch a cold."

Sasuke ignored her hand and did not reply, but he did stand up and follow her towards the exit of the cemetery. When he was a few feet away from the tomb, he stopped and turned back to stare at the resting place of his beloved mother; then, Sasuke turned around and continued walking to the exit.

"I'll bring you some l-lilies tomorrow."

* * *

Kiba scowled; again, the disgusting leech had taken away Kiba's precious time with Hinata. How much longer did Kiba have to suffer? How many more times did he have to witness someone he loved be taken away? He couldn't take it any more; one day he would crack, he knew that, and he was hoping that it would happen soon. Maybe if he became mad, he wouldn't be able to feel pain. But he couldn't go crazy, not yet. Hinata needed him, now more than ever. Shino had just died--Kiba didn't care, but Hinata had loved Shino very much. Kiba was happy when he realized that her love for him was just a brother-sister type of love, but he still couldn't help but wish for Hinata to love him, more than a friend.

But, first things first, he had to get rid of Sasuke. And he would, in due time.

Soon, Sasuke would come to learn the terrible mistake he made: Sasuke had trespassed into Kiba's territory, and he would pay dearly for it.

Kiba smirked. "Very soon," he whispered.

A/N:

Sorry, it was a bit short, but...meh, I haven't updated in a while so I was rushing to get this edited and uploaded before I go to bed!

Jin: Please review; it will be much appreciated!


	5. First Step to Recovery

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto and its characters.**

**A/N: Finally! I can start writing again! I am so sorry about the long wait, but I had to give it up for Lent, and **_**then**_** I had to add an extra four days to it because I realized it was Lent three days after, and then I accidentally wrote a story one day so I had to total that all up and add it. BUT NOW! It's over and you guys can totally expect that I will update and post new stories as soon as possible! School year's almost over and we're finally getting less homework--amazingly! There shall--hopefully--be more frequent updates and posts! YAY!**

**Jin: Oh yes, please don't forget to review; because of the long elapse, we fear that our writing abilities may be lower than normal, so critique us as you see fit! But no flames! They will be used to warm our feet during winter!**

**By the way, I only edited once because I wanted to get this up to make up for lost time so I apologize if there are any mistakes…**

Speak

_First Step to Recovery_

"Now that all of you are here," Kakashi looked gravely about the room at the members of Konoha Mental Facility; his bandana—it was a dark blue one this time—covered the bottom half of his face. It scared the younger and newer patients and doctors, but the people who had been at Konoha longer were used to the silver-haired man's strange fashion style.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura raised her hand out of politeness. Kakashi never liked it when he was interrupted, but he didn't seem to mind if the person raised their hand first; most of the staff thought that he used to be a teacher because of his rule: "Raise your hand to speak."

"What is it, Sakura?"

"Hinata isn't here." Sakura told him. "She left early."

Kakashi nodded, not shocked at the news; he was the one who sent Hinata home. "I know," he said. "I did it purposely; she looked very pained, and I wanted her to get some rest. But there was also a second reason as to why I dismissed her."

His audience was quiet, a serious expression on their face. There was only one other time that a doctor had died by the hands of a patient, and that time was a horrible memory indeed; it even caused one of the doctors to go mentally insane. None of them liked to speak of the terrible incident; it brought back too much painful thoughts and images and "what if's."

Kakashi continued his announcement. "As you all know, Kiba Inuzuka was the one who killed Shino; as a result, Kiba will immediately be transferred to the west wing. But that is not of the current topic; I want you all to keep Shino's murderer a secret from Hinata."

There were gasps of shock and disagreement. Keep it from Hinata? She was the one who cried the most at Shino's funeral; how could they keep such important information from her? To make matters worst, her best friend was killed by her own patient!

"But, Kakashi-sensei—why?" one of the doctors stuttered, confused.

"I mean no disrespect, Kakashi-sensei," Ino stated. "But...I believe that she has a right to know Shino's murderer."

Sakura nodded her head in agreement. "It's not fair, Sensei."

"It being fair or unfair is not of relevance," Kakashi barked. "Do you think I want to keep this from her? It breaks my heart to see her so sad; I have no choice but to keep her in the shadows. How do you think she will react should she find out that Kiba was the one who brought the chair down on Shino?"

No one said a word. Everyone had seen Hinata and Kiba outside having picnics quite frequently; it was known throughout the institution that Kiba was very fond of Hinata—anyone with eyes could see that!

"He's right..." a woman murmured, staring down at the ground in depression. "It would pierce her so deep that she might never be able to stand on her own two feet again."

The man beside her placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, looking just as dejected. "It would be just like the Neji incident," he whispered. Everyone cringed as they remembered what ought not to be remembered. They could still see the blood, all of the blood that coated innocent hands; all of the blood that stained the wall. Everyone could hear the screams of anguish; they could still picture Neji's face so clearly in their mind, screaming for the one he loved to come back, screaming for her not to leave him. He had held her limp body in his hands, pulling the corpse close to his chest and crying so desperately.

No one had ever seen him like that; Neji carried himself with pride and honor. He came from such a wealthy and well-known family; the Hyuugas were passionate and jealous about their unique form of martial arts. No Hyuuga would fall to the ground like that, especially Neji; he would never hold a dead body so close and stain his expensive clothes, shout to the sky, cry as if his world was crashing down. Yet he had done all of that, all of that and more; tears were streaming down his face and onto the stiff, making it look as if she was crying, too; it made her look as though even in death, she still loved him, as though she was hurting that their bodies were so close, and yet they were worlds apart.

"Neji..." Lee murmured, looking down at the floor to hide his silent tears.

Kakashi had to swallow a thick lump in his throat before he could speak again. "Now you know why we must keep this a secret. I don't want to see that happen ever again. Not ever."

* * *

"Good morning, Hinata," Ino smiled happily at the purple haired woman as she stepped inside the small flower shop.

Hinata flashed a smile at the blonde behind the counter. It was Ino's day off; Ino had asked Kakashi if she could stay away from work for a few days. The tragic loss of Shino was still weighing on her mind, and Ino found that she couldn't concentrate on many things. She feared it would interfere with her work; not only that, but she figured that a few days of relaxing vacation would give her some time to clear her thoughts. Renting a cabin on a mountain, she would be staying in the cottage with her cousin for a week.

"Morning, Ino," Hinata said softly. "Are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I am." Ino nodded, propping her head with her hand; there was a book lying in front of her and a bookmark in her free hand, but with Hinata there, she had no intention of continuing the volume. Hinata had taken Shino's death quite hard; after all, she and Shino had been best friends since kindergarten. Hinata could be found where Shino was; there were even rumors of him spending the night at her house! Of course, no one really knew if the rumors were true; whenever anyone asked Hinata, she merely smiled and walked off with a light giggle.

Ino thought that Hinata would've been devastated with Shino's death, but she seemed to be coping quite well. She hadn't even asked permission from Kakashi for a vacation like Ino and quite a few others! Hinata would be distraught though, if she knew how Shino had died...And Ino would inform her friend, but she had orders to keep quiet; the _entire staff_ was to keep quiet under their boss's orders.

The blonde continued. "I'm picking up my cousin tonight at the airport; we're going to spend the rest of the evening getting ready. Then, tomorrow, we leave at dawn!"

"Have fun, Ino," Hinata said.

"Thanks. So, what are you doing here?" Ino asked; Hinata was looking about the selection of flowers, occasionally smelling one with a satisfied grin. Normally, Hinata would come in and buy flowers for her late mother and father on their anniversary, but their anniversary was in March--quite a long ways off. Ino glanced at her clock; it was 10 A.M. "Aren't you supposed to be at work? You're four hours late, you know."

"I told Kakashi that I would be late t-today." Hinata responded. "I wanted to get some business done f-first."

"Oh," A thought hit Ino; her beam faltered a tad. _Maybe she's looking for flowers for Shino...Poor girl…_

"I'm looking for some lilies. I know someone who likes them." Hinata explained, straightening her back; she headed towards Ino.

_Shino likes orchids though… _Ino thought to herself. _It must be someone else…wonder who…_

"Do you have any?" Hinata's voice broke Ino's train of thoughts.

"Of course," Ino smirked in reply. "We have all types here at Yamanaka's Flowers."

Hinata giggled in response; in truth, it was Ino's mother who owned the shop. It was supposed to be passed down to Ino because it was a family business, but Ino had plans to become a psychiatrist; now, in her spare time or whenever she would get days off, she would help her mother tend to the garden and help man the counter while Mrs. Yamanaka took care of other businesses.

"Wait right here," Ino ordered, and then turned around and headed through a door that led to the garden. Of course, Hinata had been back there a hundred million times; when they were younger, Ino, Hinata, and Sakura would do their club's volunteer hours at Yamanaka's Flowers. Mrs. Yamanaka had them do all kinds of things; the flower shop didn't only sell flowers, but they sold herbs and tea also—anything that could be made out of plants. Because of that, the three friends learned so much about plants and at the same time had much fun.

After a few minutes, Ino came back with dozens of beautiful lilies, all in bloom; Hinata grinned at the radiant beauty the flowers gave off. From where she was standing, she could smell the addictive fragrance the plants emitted.

_He'll surely like these!_

"What color ribbons would you like, Hinata?" Ino inquired, setting the flowers down as she shifted through a nearby shelf for a box of ribbons.

"No, it's alright, Ino," Hinata said. "Could I just have a vase?"

"Sure," Ino went back into the door, though this time it only took a few seconds before she returned with a glass vase filled with water, ice, and a teaspoon of sugar. Ino knew she liked glass vases better because Hinata's father had once said that her mother liked glass vases. Anything her mother liked, Hinata was willing to like.

"Here you go," Ino said, placing the flowers into the beautiful container.

"Okay, so my mom told me that ice cold water is good for the plants, and she also says that a little bit of sugar makes them live longer, so be sure to put ice and sugar." Ino advised, taking a few flowers out and snipping their stems to make them shorter. "And don't forget to change the water frequently."

"I know, Ino," Hinata laughed. "Y-you've only told me a million times!"

"Sorry; it's a habit." Ino chuckled, going to the box of ribbons and taking out a purple one. She tied it around the vase, making a bow, and then stapled the Yamanaka's Flowers card to the ribbon. Ino grinned at the perfect job she did. "All done,"

"You really didn't have t-to add the ribbon you know."

"Yeah, but the ribbon looks good on it." Ino shrugged her shoulders. Hinata gave an exasperated sigh; Ino stuck her tongue at her as Hinata reached into her purse. She took out a twenty dollar bill, but Ino quickly shook her head.

"It's on the house, Hinata."

"What? But I can't--"

"It's on the house," Ino said firmly, gently pushing the vase towards the purple haired woman. "Seriously, take it and go before I change my mind."

Hinata's lips lifted upwards as she obeyed Ino's commands; she took the vase and headed for the door, turning only to wave good bye and to give Ino her thanks. "Come back soon, Ino."

Ino returned the wave. "I'll see you in a week, Hinata!"

* * *

Sakura sighed, rubbing her temples in irritation and exhaustion. Ino was going to rent a cabin with her cousin for a week; seventeen other workers are taking the rest of the week off, and Hinata is arriving to work late. Now _that_ was nuts. Hinata was very serious with her job, so she made a point to be at the front gates at six on the _dot_. She was four hours late, and Kakashi didn't seem to mind! Apparently, she had phoned him and told him herself that she would be arriving late! After Shino died, Sakura frequently asked herself whether or not the world had gone mad.

"Please Sasuke," the pink haired woman pleaded. "Please, for once, talk to me."

Sasuke's reaction was to lean back in his chair, tilt his head upwards, fold his arms over his chest, and stare up at the ceiling as if it was his favorite thing to do. Because Hinata wasn't there, Sakura had been assigned to Sasuke for the time being; Kakashi had also told her that she and Lee would be taking over Hinata's duties as Kiba's doctor. Personally, Sakura thought that it was a crazy thing to do: assign a new doctor to Kiba, especially after the whole thing that happened with Shino. But Kakashi was a very large rock: he wouldn't budge, nor would he listen to any of Sakura's explanations as to why it was such a terrible and stupid idea.

"_It's for the best, Sakura," _he had told her with an annoyed fire in his gray eyes. Trust_ me. I'll tell Hinata once she arrives; until then, just watch Sasuke for a bit. See what you can do."_

Well, it wasn't so bad to be in a room all alone with Sasuke; he was very good looking, and Sakura was grateful to be spending time with him. The problem was that he completely ignored her. Every attempt made to strike a conversation, every attempt to offer her hand in friendship was shot down by Sasuke closing his eyes and pretending to sleep, or silently counting the seconds.

It made her want to pull out her hair.

Sakura absolutely _hated_ to be ignored; when she was younger, many of the kids had ignored her because she had arrived in Japan at the age of ten after spending eight long years in America. She had made no friends and her parents were too busy to even notice her depressed she was.

"Sasuke," she began once more, searching for something to say that would change his mind about not speaking. After thinking of nothing, she sighed and stood up. "That's all for now; I'll be back in a little while." She headed for the door, glancing back to see if there was any change in his posture—nothing. Another sigh left her pink lips as she opened and closed the door, leaving without another glance.

* * *

_This is where he died._

Hinata stepped into the building, holding the large and heavy vase; breathing in the familiar cool air brought back so many memories—good and bad. She didn't know why, but she felt as if she hadn't stepped inside Konoha for years; it was such a strange feeling: to know that it had only been a day or two, and yet it seemed like a couple of years. Out of the corner of her eyes, she thought she saw cobwebs, but when she turned around for a closer inspection, they were just tricks of the light.

That morning, Hinata thought that it would've taken a stampeded of elephants to make her stride into Konoha, but she had entered without breaking down—that brought a swell of pride in her chest. _My first step towards recovery._

Everywhere she looked, she could see a memory of Shino and her; there was one now. To her left was a hall towards the main office, and as she stared at the corridor, she could see a younger version of herself and Shino. The memory was of the day Shino had helped her find a job at Konoha; without his recommendation, she would've never gotten a job.

"_Shino, I'm scared…what if I don't get the job?"_

"_You worry too much."_

Hinata could only smile at the memory taking place before her. She saw herself grab Shino's left arm in anxiety, but then her younger self slowly let go and straightened her back.

"_Just remember: keep your chin up, back straight, and when you talk, look the person in the eye." _Hinata frowned slightly; his voice still wasn't quite right. There was just something missing that made it seem as though his voice wasn't the same. She still couldn't remember his voice.

_The other Hinata nodded, trying to be as confident as her older brother. "Right…chin up, back straight, look them square in the eye!"_

How she missed the old days; how she missed so dearly the times when it was just her and Shino without a care in the world. Back then, they didn't have to worry about college, or how they would survive in the dog-eat-dog world. It was just bugs and flowers for them; everything was just bugs and flowers. It was too bad that they couldn't go back.

_Today, I have to work with Kiba, so I'll give someone the flowers and tell them to give it to Sasuke for me. _

She walked down the main hallway, taking in every detail of the walls and the way the sunlight bounced in through the windows; none of her coworkers were in her sight. Most were probably in their office doing paperwork, or talking to their patients. Since no one was around for her to ask a favor of them, Hinata figured that she could keep the lilies with her until her break; then she would go and visit Sasuke. As she stopped at an intersection in the hall, she seemed to freeze.

Hinata looked to her right; that was where she had to go; that way was down to Kiba's room—Kiba's new room actually. It was where she was supposed to go, right? But there was this feeling in the pit of her stomach; it felt like butterflies, but not the kind she had in the third grade when she was around her crush. No, these butterflies were black; they made her stomach clench in fear and her throat close up with terror.

_Come on Hinata, take a step._ She tried to comfort herself, thinking that everything was fine and the strange feelings of dread was just her brain playing tricks, like the lights looking like cobwebs. Hinata tried to think of the good memories she had with Kiba; the time she and him where first outside. He had really opened up to her that time; Kiba had smiled and laughed and even joked around with her. She had figured out that all that time spent inside the asylum was just making him crazy; he only needed a little fresh air and he was good as new!

_What are you so afraid of?_ Hinata willed herself to move; she clenched her slender hands into fists and bit down on her lip. _Move feet! Move!_

It worked. Her feet began walking—in the opposite direction; she was walking towards Sasuke's room. But once she started walking, she couldn't stop; she didn't want to stop; she didn't want to turn around and glance back at the other hall where her patient, her friend, was staying. She didn't know why, but nevertheless, she couldn't bring herself to go towards the west wing.

_But…Kiba's waiting for me…I—I should turn around and go back._

Hinata stopped and forced herself to turn around. She could hear a voice; a familiar voice that seemed to whisper to her. **"Don't go that way." **It was practically a command; unyielding in its decision. **"Don't go that way."**

She turned back towards the Sasuke's room.

_I'm sorry Kiba…_

Hinata kept walking.

* * *

_I was beginning to think she would never leave…_ Sasuke thought with a mental smirk. He stood up and stretched his aching limbs, feeling quite content when he heard his muscles crack. _I thought I was going to suffocate!_ Just as before, the crazy woman had on a strong perfume that went down his throat as he breathed and strangled his lungs until he was too scared to take a breath with her sitting so close to him. He had half a mind to just open his mouth and tell her how she was buying cheap perfume that would only end up scaring potential boyfriends away.

_Doctor Hyuuga…hmm…_

Lately, Sasuke found that his thoughts would unexpectedly wander to the purple haired therapist; she was a strange one…Doctor Hyuuga was much different from any doctor he had ever met; she was quiet, soft-spoken, strange qualities for a therapist to possess.

"_I'll bring you some l-lilies tomorrow."_ She had told him that herself yesterday at the graveyard; the doctor had been overwhelmed with the death of her associate, and still, she managed to give Sasuke something to look forward to.

Not that there was anything _to_ look forward to; he didn't like her. He didn't like any of them; just because Doctor Hyuuga was different from the other doctors, that didn't mean that he _liked_ her. There was no way he could actually want her to hurry up and get to his cell; she was a doctor who thought he was crazy, and he was a patient who thought doctors were crazy. He didn't want her to be his friend; nope.

_I've just been lonelier than usual, is all._ Sasuke told himself, sitting back down on the chair. _I just want her to get here so I can have my lilies…_ Yes, that's it, that's all there was to it. She just fascinated him because of her absurd personality, and he only wanted his promised flowers—nothing more to it. Still, his eyes drifted to the window that allowed him to peer outside into the hallways. Nobody was walking around; none of the staff and no patients either. Sasuke concluded that some of them had probably taken a vacation to take their minds off of everything.

Suddenly, he saw a familiar purple headed lady with a large vase of flowers pass by; he mentally raised a brow at how big the vase was. It looked quite heavy, and the doctor was very fragile-looking; she couldn't possibly carry that without breaking her back!

He heard a key turn; his heart was beating faster and faster. Already, he could smell the lilies; already, he felt as if his mother was there with him.

"_Young man, I demand that you go and wash off that mud or—or I'll take your teddy bear and never give him back!"_ His mother was terrible with threats; she just didn't have the heart to punish anyone. That job was left to his father; still, the teddy bear warning was enough for him to run upstairs into the restroom faster than his mother thought he could.

Again, it was as though he was under a spell; the fragrance was keeping him trapped in the memories of his mother and wouldn't let go. He had no control over his mind, no control over his body and mouth. Mikoto seemed so close; it was like he could reach out and touch his mother's arm. But she was so far away.

"Okaa-san…"

* * *

Hinata heard it; another whisper.

"Okaa-san…"

She pushed the door further open so that she could enter the room; Hinata looked up. Sasuke was sitting at the table, staring at the flowers, deeply breathing its scent as if it was his heroin.

"Good morning, Sasuke," Hinata greeted; she placed the flowers on the floor beside the table. Then, she turned back to close and lock the door; she didn't want any interruptions.

_I'm supposed to be at Kiba's…_ That thought made her feel guilty; Kiba must be very mad that he hadn't seen her since yesterday, but she was too scared to go in the direction of his room. He would understand…

Hinata took a seat on the opposite end of the table; she watched as Sasuke leaned towards the lilies and took one out, playing with it in his hands. She thought he looked like a little kid that had never seen lilies in his entire life. And there was something that truly amazed her. _He's smiling._ There was a smile—though small—on his face; it seemed that he really enjoyed lilies. Maybe it had something to do with his mother; she carefully tucked the little tidbit into the safest corner of her mind for later.

"I'm not her on duty, S-Sasuke, so you don't have to w-worry about me recording e-everything you say." Hinata announced; she wanted to see if he would actually speak once he knew that it wasn't going to be recorded on paper for later review. As expected—and Hinata was very disappointed—Sasuke didn't say anything, but he didn't ignore her either; it was more like he was so hypnotized by the sight and smell of the plants that he didn't even hear what she had said.

Hinata looked down at her hands; she wanted to say something that would trigger him to talk, but she wasn't sure what to say. Looking back, the only time he had ever said anything was when she mentioned lilies…and he had spoken once more when she stepped in with the _lilies_. A light bulb flashed above her head as an idea formed.

"You…like lilies, Sasuke…?" She wasn't aware that it was the same question she had asked the day before.

Immediately, Hinata received a response.

"Yeah…" he murmured softly. Sasuke wasn't looking at her; he was still preoccupied with the flower in his hands, but she saw him glance in her direction. He was probably suspicious, Hinata deduced; she just hoped that he wasn't going to close up and not talk like before.

"I like them, too," Hinata agreed, giving him a smile; the grin was overlooked. "…Does your like of l-lilies have anything to do w-with…your mother?"

Finally, Sasuke looked up; he placed the lily back in its place inside the vase. Afterwards, he turned towards Hinata and leaned back in his chair, not knowing what to say or how to answer her question. No one had ever asked him about why he liked things; no one really asked him what he liked actually. They just assumed he liked shiny red cars or that he had no need of flowers. In the end, Sasuke only managed a tiny nod.

Inside, Hinata beamed and screamed and yelled in excitement; he actually answered two times in a row! This time, he didn't say anything but nod, but that was still a response! She was so proud of herself and she was quite happy that she had decided to buy him lilies. Without the magical flowers, Sasuke would've never answered her and it would've been just like any other day.

"Did your mother like them?"

Like before, the words slipped out of his mouth without his consent. "No, she loved them." He was starting to think that his mouth had a mind of its own; it wouldn't shut up when it was supposed to!

"Do you miss your mother?" Hinata questioned. _He talks when the subject is about lilies or his mother…_

Sasuke nodded in response once more; he felt tired. He hadn't spoken in a long time; just simple answers exhausted him. But it was nice to have someone to talk to; it felt good to talk again, especially about his mother. Normally, when people talked to him, it was questioning him about why he was suicidal; he never had a _normal_ conversation. Talking about something beside why he was "crazy" made him feel like a normal person.

"What was she like?"

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, looking down and trying to act indifferent about the topic, but Hinata could see another smile slip onto his face. The grin was enough to tell Hinata that he was very fond of his mother; then she realized something. His mother was dead; it must've really cut him when she died, just like her when Shino died.

"She was…a lot of things…" Sasuke responded; he crossed his arms, remembering all of the things his mother was—kind, beautiful, funny. "She wanted to go to America."

"She did?" Hinata said; a sign for him to continue. "W-was it her dream?"

"She said it was the land of the free," he clarified. "Said it was where we would be free."

"D-did you ever go there?"

"She died," was all he said.

Hinata only managed a small, "Oh…" Mikoto never went to America then; from what Sasuke said, Hinata knew that she died before she ever set foot in the Americas. It was hard for him to talk about someone he loved so much to a complete stranger—a stranger who thought he was mentally insane.

"I'm—I'm sorry. It was hard for you…wasn't it…?"

This time, he didn't answer.

Hinata's lavender eyes dropped back down; she didn't know what else to say. An awkward silence swept over the two of them; Sasuke returned to messing with the flowers. After talking about his mother, she felt as though she had trespassed on a sacred area, one that most didn't enter; looking up at Sasuke, she saw that he was glaring bitterly at the flowers.

"You really loved her…" she said.

Sasuke turned his fierce glower onto Hinata; she seemed to shrink under his cold stare.

"I hate her too."

* * *

**A/N:**

And that's the end of this chapter!! Please review! And if you didn't read the little A/N up there, Jin will summarize it. Jin?

Jin: Read and review; we don't own the characters—unless their OC's—and we will be updating more often. Again, please check her profile daily; go to the **RECENT NEWS** section because that will usually explain why it's taking so long to update and whatnot. You can also find the story title and look at her little comments below it; that should also explain a few things. Oh yes, and we appreciate the reviews we've received thus far, and we are also grateful for your patience. It means a lot to us.

…There was some extra stuff in that summary, but the little tidbit about the **RECENT NEWS** is good stuff…

Jin: Read and review!

Until Chapter Six! Ciao!

Miss Strange


	6. Friendship is an Odd Thing

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto and its characters.**

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews! It means a lot to us that you haven't given up on this story!**

**Jin: Okay, it wasn't as quick as we had hoped, but…here you go.**

**Please don't forget to review after reading! Thank you!**

**Jin: Ah, and again, we have only edited once or twice because we wanted to get it up and running, so we apologize for nay mistakes you may find.**

Speak

_Friendship is an Odd Thing_

"I—I don't understand…" Hinata stammered.

Sasuke's glare hardened. "I didn't expect you to."

Hinata thought Sasuke loved his mother, but his glare and his words seemed to say otherwise; he had been speaking about her with such admiration, though. One would think he was really fond of his mother; she seemed like such a wonderful woman. Before Hinata could say anything else, they heard the door click open, revealing Sakura in all of her pink glory; at the sight of her, Sasuke immediately dropped his glare and slipped on his poker-face, staring emotionlessly at the table.

"Hinata?" Sakura raised a brow, surprised that the purple-haired doctor was already there. "When did you get here?"

"Oh, I," Hinata turned back to stare at Sasuke; he was ignoring her as if the conversation had never happened. Seeing that Sakura was still waiting for an answer, Hinata turned back to her. "I just got here," she replied.

"Did Kakashi tell you to come to Sasuke's room?" Sakura asked. At Hinata's confused stare, Sakura guessed that Kakashi had forgotten; she decided that she would take it upon herself to tell Hinata otherwise the doctor would probably go to Kiba's room where she wasn't allowed. "He was supposed to tell you that…" Sakura paused, suddenly getting a lump in her throat; she tried again, telling herself that it was for the best.

"Listen, Hinata," Sakura began once more, swallowing the bump with a rapid heartbeat. "You're…Kiba's not your patient anymore."

Hinata's eyes widened, stunned at the news. Her brain couldn't comprehend what Sakura had just said; Hinata had never thought that something like _that_ would happen! She had been Kiba's doctor for a little more than a year; he was doing so well, too—he smiled more often, and it seemed that he was getting along very well with the other patients. He was good with the little kids, always telling the little boys and girls amazing stories and facts about animals and mythological creatures. How could Kakashi just take him away when he knew that Hinata was so close to a breakthrough with Kiba! She had almost figured out what made him so mad at home, and the reason for why he chose animal company over humans was almost in her reach!

How could Kakashi take him away when she had just lost Shino…?

"But…" Hinata looked down, distressed. "He _needs_ me."

Sakura bit her bottom lip; Hinata looked so upset and it hurt Sakura so much to see her that way. She wasn't as close with Hinata as Ino was with the woman, but Hinata was still her friend; what made it even worse was that Sakura was the cause for her pain.

"I'm sorry, Hinata, but Kakashi thinks that Rock Lee and I…can take over for you while you work with Sasuke." At that, the two doctors turned the eyes onto the silent man; he hadn't moved from his spot or showed any hints that his was listening to their conversation.

"Can I…at least v-visit him?"

The pink haired doctor shook her head sadly. "No, you can't."

"Oh…okay…" Hinata whispered.

Sakura leaned against the door frame, rubbing her left arm awkwardly as she tried to think of comforting words; nothing came to her mind. What could she say? After Shino's death, Kiba probably meant the world to Hinata; now, all of a sudden, she found out that he was no longer her patient. Sakura could not understand the terrible pain that Hinata was feeling; everything that happened to Sakura was nothing compared to what the Hyuuga was going through.

"Do…do you want me to talk to Kakashi for you?" Sakura asked. "I didn't think it was a good idea, but he wouldn't listen. You know how Kakashi is; he's so thickheaded." She laughed, trying to lighten the mood, though her attempt did not work. Hinata was still gloomy, and the atmosphere was still tense. "Hinata…you know that he means well, right?"

The Hyuuga nodded, sighing softly. "I know…"

"And, you know I'm here for you if you need me."

The words were supposed to comfort her, but she felt no reassurance from the sentence.

"I know…" she repeated.

Sakura took a step towards the hallway, turning to back to stare at Hinata, still thinking of something to say. "I…I guess…I'll be going now." Her green eyes shifted toward Sasuke for a split moment before returning to Hinata. Sasuke was a hopeless case; Sakura didn't know what Kakashi was trying to accomplish by assigning Hinata to the Wall. She was good, but not _that_ good.

"See you later, Hinata."

"Yeah…okay…"

With one final look, Sakura left the room and gently closed the door, locking it behind her; once she was out of sight, Hinata collapsed on the table, hiding her face in her arms as she tried her hardest not to cry. Everything was going downhill, and she had no idea why.

"Who's Kiba?"

"W-what?" Hinata slowly raised her head to gaze at Sasuke; her eyes were filled with pain.

Sasuke looked irritated; he didn't like to repeat himself—something his father passed down to him, though his brother was quite patient. "Who's Kiba?" he said again.

She blinked, sitting up and wiping her eyes to make sure that no tears managed to drop; none did. Hinata found it weird when Sasuke spoke; she felt very happy that she had managed to get past his first defense and got him to speak, but it was still very new to her so she felt a tad awkward.

"Kiba is—" Hinata caught her mistake and started over. "…_was_…my patient."

"What happened to him?"

"I…I don't know…" she murmured. "Kakashi-sensei m-moved him to the west w-wing,"

Silence took place for a while as Hinata gazed down at her hands and Sasuke stared at the doctor in confusion. He was puzzled, and though his face clearly didn't show it, he didn't understand why she was crying; he couldn't comprehend why she cared so much for a _patient_? Didn't she think that everyone in the building was crazy? Wasn't she just there for the money? And that she didn't really care what happened to them? Why did it matter if she wasn't Kiba's doctor any more? The questions only increased his mystification, causing his frustration to augment.

Hinata looked up to see why he was so quiet all of a sudden when he was talking not a moment ago; she was shocked to see him suddenly frown; another emotion had shown on his face, though it was another of anger like his glare. _Does he ever smile?_

"W-what's wrong?" she asked; Sasuke blinked, his train of thought crashing into a wall as her words brought him out of the safety of his mind.

Sasuke mentally snorted at her question. "I'm thinking,"

Despite the situation, Hinata couldn't help but allow a smile to grace her lips; his words led her to believe that he had a sense of humor—maybe. "I can see that," she giggled softly. "What are you t-thinking about?"

"Why do you care so much about Kiba?" he inquired, not caring whether the question was too personal and that it probably wasn't his place to ask. People asked him personal questions all the time; random strangers asked him about private matters that he didn't even want to consider let alone answer! Reporters and "friends" questioned about the death of his parents—a subject very close to his heart, locked with the key thrown away, and they didn't care; they never once thought that it would hurt to think about such a matter. They didn't think about how he would feel to be asked something like that; they didn't care.

Hinata's face faltered; she crossed her arms and leaned back against the chair, trying act nonchalant about the topic at hand. "Why do I care?" she mused.

"He's a patient," Sasuke elaborated, his face returning to the emotionless mask he routinely wore. "You think he's crazy; he thinks you're crazy. Everyone's happy."

"Is that what y-you think about us?"

Sasuke did not hesitate in his answer. "Yes."

Hinata stared at him, sadness flickering in her eyes. He didn't trust her; nor did he trust the other doctors. She didn't know why there was a sudden ache in her chest; it was only their second talk, so she couldn't expect him to like her already. Still, Hinata was very touchy about people disliking her or not trusting her; she knew that she shouldn't care too much, but she couldn't help it. The person opposite of her ignored her pained eyes and continued the conversation.

"I r-remember the first time Kiba and I met," she laughed, seeing something that he couldn't see. "Looking back…it s-seems so long ago…"

She didn't wait for a comment from Sasuke before she continued.

"H-he didn't like me; I didn't like him. To me, h-he was rude and mean; he didn't cooperate and he d-did everything he could to make me m-miserable! He was violent and he c-cursed way to much!" A small smile graced her lips, but it was one of sorrow rather than happiness. "But…he l-loves animals; though he was bad-mannered, he was g-gentle. He never o-once hit me; I asked him about it when we became closer. He t-told me that he was taught not t-to lay a hand on women; how o-old school!

"You a-ask why I care so much about a p-patient," she stared at him with determined yet kind eyes. "But K-Kiba's not a patient to me; he's my friend, and friends h-help each other in their t-time of need. Right now, he's everything to me."

"Friend…" Sasuke silently pondered on what one would call a friend; those days, the term was used too lightly, and the person you called "friend" could actually be the one to stab you in the back. Not only that, but Sasuke never had someone to call a friend. All of his "buddies" were just people who only liked him for his money and looks; after he was labeled insane, they probably forgot all about him. If they did remember him, doubtless it was only to gossip about how he tried to kill himself and whatnot—some friends…

"Yes, a friend," she nodded, confused at his strange reaction. "Don't you h-have a friend, Sasuke?"

He shook his head no.

"What about your siblings?" Hinata suggested, surprised that he was all alone in the world. How could he grow up without a single friend?

Sasuke snorted, rolling his eyes and shifting his position. "You're joking, right?" he said. "They only tolerate me to please the old folks."

"…Do you…want a friend?"

His eyes slowly moved upwards to gaze into Hinata's sincere lavender orbs; he searched her eyes for any sign of amusement or lies. Sasuke was good at knowing when people lied or not; he grew up with lies, so it was easy to distinguish the faint sign of laughter in people when they told stories.

Hinata gazed calmly into his glare; he couldn't find any giggles. People said that the eyes were the windows to the soul, but no matter how hard he tried to find that little loophole in her web of fiction, he couldn't see it. The only logical explanation for it was that she was a really good liar…or she actually wanted to be his companion, but that was crazy! There was no way that that second option was true; she was a psychiatrist; he was a crazy. If he believed her tall tale, then that meant that he was giving up, surrendering to her will; he wasn't about to do that; bees didn't mix with birds—he was a bee and she was the bird; if he believed her, she would eat him or stomp him or rip off his wings. Sure, he was lonely, but he wasn't so desperate that he would actually befriend someone who had labeled him "unstable."

"I read somewhere that when a man lies, he won't meet your eyes," Sasuke stated, leaning forward in his seat to get a closer look at her face for a second examination. "But when a woman lies, she can meet and hold your gaze."

"Y-you think I'm lying?" she asked softly, feeling another twinge of hurt, but that was to be expected. From what she could tell, Sasuke had been alone for most of his life; no friends, no family, no love; how could he believe her when no one had even tried to communicate with him?

He narrowed his eyes; Sasuke wanted to believe her—though he would die before saying that aloud—but he couldn't. All his life, people fibbed and told him stories that would make the boy who cried wolf look like an amateur; his ears were so clogged with dishonesty that he could not separate the truth from more untruths.

"Prove me wrong."

Hinata thought for a moment, trying to think of a way to show that she really did want to be his friend; after a while, she said, "Name some of the things you l-like."

At his silence, she concluded that he was unsure of what to say, possibly wondering why she had said such a thing in the first place and how it had anything to do with the topic at hand.

She continued. "F-friends know each other's likes and d-dislikes, or else they wouldn't b-be very good friends; that's a c-common rule."

"You're just making this up as you go along," Sasuke scoffed, leaning back into the chair.

"H-how about I start off first, o-okay?" she proposed, then leaned her head against her hand, musing about what to tell him. "Okay, I-I've got one: I like it when it rains."

That was another person who loved the rain; how could anyone like the gloomy liquid, he would never know. What was so beautiful about it? Could she see the blue and love in the rain, too, just like his mom? He couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

Another grin slipped onto her face as a memory of when she and Shino were younger played in her head. They had been outside when it rained, but the sun was still shining while the clouds cried; afterwards, a beautiful rainbow appeared, and they were so amazed and fascinated. It had been their first time seeing a rainbow; the two were so spellbound that they made up explanations as to why it was happening. Hinata had suggested magic, and Shino thought it had something to do with the bugs.

"I have a-a lot of good memories w-with the rain; what about you?"

Sasuke scowled, feeling a deep hatred in his veins at the word. "I hate the rain."

"I d-didn't know that before," Hinata said. "B-but now that we're friends, it's g-good to know things like that."

Again, he couldn't help but voice his opinion. "Why?" he asked. It seemed too trivial in his eyes; why did he need to share such unimportant facts about himself? Why did she need to reveal her interests and he had to remember them? Of course, his secret dream—buried deep within his heart—was to have a friend, someone he didn't have to put up shields and edit his words and thoughts; someone he could be with and just drop his barriers and be himself without having a person judge him. But was this really necessary? However…the doctor did know better—though he was reluctant to admit so. She had friends and he was antisocial, so it was sensible that she would know the friendship-thing inside and out with all of its useless rules.

Hinata fiddled with her thumbs, glancing down to her hands and then back up to Sasuke's face; she could see a hint of perplexity in his ruby eyes. "Well…I want to b-be your friend, so I'll need to k-know these things, even if it m-may sound really d-dumb or embarrassing."

"Why do you want to be my friend?"

What was this—an interrogation? Nonetheless, Hinata made sure that she was patient with him; she just had to keep in mind that he had never had a friend before and was still new to idea of pals. "I…I don't know for sure…" she confessed, shrugging her shoulders. "But…since the d-doctor and patient relationship isn't working, m-maybe I can relate if we're friends."

He was silent for a while, thinking over her words.

"I-is that okay?"

It didn't sound too bad; so far, having an acquaintance didn't sound as though there was a downside to it. The only company Sasuke had had been Silence and Loneliness, and then there was that fly; a _human_ companion wouldn't be terrible… But, it was probably too good to be true; there had to be a problem somewhere. Nothing was perfect, and he was sure that the disadvantage to having friends would be a very big one that would irritate him until he finally snapped. Though…maybe…_maybe_ he could try having a friend—maybe even friend_s_. If it didn't turn out great, he could always just snip off the strings that bound him to them, and then not interact with her; that was easy enough.

"Sasuke?"

He took in a deep breath; it was a great risk, but maybe it was a risk worth taking. "I don't like sweets."

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**A/N: **

**Okay, that little thing about women and men lying is not mine; I got it from _Beyond the Stream of Time_ or something like that—it's a new manga…can't remember it and I'm too lazy to go and find the correct title. Ah well.**


	7. Out in the Open

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto and its characters.**

**A/N: Alright! Next chapter is up! Whoot! **

**Jin: Sorry it took so long! No point in giving out an excuse…She was just lazy.**

**Meh.**

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Speak

_Out in the Open_

"Why did you kill him?"

"He deserved it."

"Who are you to decide whether a person should live or die?"

"Who are you to think that you have the right to cage me?"

"…Did you know it would hurt her?"

"He didn't deserve her."

"Did you know that she loved him like a brother?"

"He didn't deserve her."

"She was in pain."

"He didn't deserve her!"

"She loved him."

"HE DIDN'T DESERVE HER!"

"She loved him!"

"Let me tell you something: she's **mine**."

"Hinata is not some sort of property. You don't 'own' her."

"Does it look like I care what you think?"

"Kiba, what you did was wrong."

"According to you."

"What?"

"According to you, what I did was wrong."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Stop comparing me to your standards. You think that killing him was bad, but I honestly think that I did the world a favor."

"You took away his **life**."

"Think of it this way: now he's in Heaven where he won't suffer."

"You can't just go around killing people you don't like! It's not ethical!"

"So first I'm crazy, now I'm not ethical. See, that's what I hate about you people; you think you know everything."

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to; it shows on your face, and the fact that I'm in here proves it."

"You're not in here because we think you're dumb, Kiba."

"No, I'm in here because stupid, stuck-up people like you think I'm insane because I like animals. So I don't have human friends; so I prefer animal company; is that a crime? Did I do something illegal?"

"Of course not, it's just that…"

"Just what?—I'm not **normal**?"

"You're unstable."

"Unstable? Well, let me tell you something, Doctor Haruno; not everyone is the same. People are different, and I just happen to like animals better than humans."

"It's not just that; you're in need of anger management; and you seem to be unhealthily fixated on Hinata."

"I get angry just like everyone else, and Hinata has nothing to do with this."

"It's not good to be so possessive of her to the point of murdering someone else."

"Don't talk like you know me."

"You're mentally ill, but I can help you, only if you l—"

"I'm not crazy!"

* * *

"Kabuki; favorite pastime?"

"Going to school,"

"Tch. Nerd."

"I-I thought it wasn't half bad!"

The insult was repeated. "Nerd."

"M-moving along, what did you eat f-for dessert back home?"

"Crackers," He didn't like sweets. "What do _you_ eat for desert?"

"I've a-always been fond of ice c-cream. What c-color do you hate the most?"

"Gray; what's your favorite color?"

"Pink; what's y-your favorite childhood show?"

Silence…

Then, "…The Power Rangers…"

Hinata couldn't hold in her laughter; she found it too funny. _Sasuke_? Watching _Power Rangers_? That mental image just made her day!

Sasuke rolled his eyes, grunting, "You're not one to laugh; yours is the Teletubbies."

Hinata smiled, feeling much better than before. They had been asking each other questions for a good hour; she had learned so much about Sasuke. There were so many things that she didn't know about him, and everything he told her was so unexpected; she was also grateful that he was being so truthful. The purple-haired woman was quite glad that she had tried to be his friend—and succeeded—otherwise she wouldn't have broken through his first layer of ice.

"I always w-watched it with H-Hanabi; she's studying in A-America, though, so w-we don't see each other m-much."

"What type of music do you like?" Sasuke continued. He knew that the topic about her sister was a tough one; he had found out when he asked her if she had any siblings. Of course, both were sharing information with each other, but they weren't so close that Hinata or Sasuke would share personal information. They still had a few things they wanted to keep to themselves; the only way to find out what was untouchable was to keep playing the Thousand Questions Game.

"I-I listen to western music," she answered. "M-mostly alternative rock; you?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't listen to much music."

"I see." She nodded thoughtfully. "When you were a k-kid, what did you d-dream of becoming?"

He didn't answer; instead, Sasuke asked, "Who's your best friend?"

A light bulb in Hinata clicked; it was one of _those_ questions—a delicate topic. Instead of apologizing like she normally would, Hinata just continued the conversation by answering his inquiry. "I love all of my f-friends, but if I h-had to pick, I'd c-choose Shino."

Sasuke became tense at her reply; he remembered how she had cried so much that her tear ducts were probably dried up. To him, it was very awkward when someone sobbed; he couldn't do anything because he wasn't one to be touchy-feely, so all he could do was just sit there and hope for the bawls to end. If Hinata started crying, she'd probably be taken out of his good book and placed into the book labeled, "People to Avoid and Ignore At All Costs,"—like that smelly doctor.

But Hinata did not cry; she only beamed sadly, quietly laughing at something she thought was funny. Noticing his gaze, she quickly erased the memory, explaining, "It's o-okay; I-I think I'm starting to let him go, s-slowly but s-surely."

Sasuke said nothing, nor did he nod; he could only think about the late doctor whom she was so fond of. He wondered why this "Shino" person was so special to her; was Shino her savior, or someone like a big brother to her? He only pondered on it; however, he did not voice his thoughts aloud. Just like him, she probably didn't like to dwell on the death of loved ones, though she seemed to be coping quite well with Shino's death. Sasuke, on the other hand, could not let his mother go; his hands clenched into fists, and his jaw tightened.

Hinata noticed the sudden change in his demeanor, but she said nothing about it; instead, she glanced down at her watch and suddenly realized the time.

"Oh, lunch is s-starting," she announced, standing up and heading for the door; she glanced back at him, wondering why he wasn't following. The hard edge to his eyes never left, but he managed to give her an "isn't-it-obvious" look; she didn't respond, not knowing why it was so obvious.

"I can't go out."

She simply smiled at him; Sasuke felt a tad uncomfortable at her beam. No one had given him a genuine smile in so long; whenever his grandparents grinned, it was only to butter him up and get him to do greater things so that he would bring even more fame to the Uchiha name.

"Well, after o-our talk," Hinata started, unlocking the door and pulling it open. "I'd say you're p-pretty stable. A-anyways, it's hot in here isn't it, and you haven't e-even met the other p-patients." She waited by the door, watching him carefully as he thought of the possible options; he could stay and rot, or he could he go out and stretch his limbs. Obviously, the latter option sounded much better to Sasuke.

Slowly, he stood up and cautiously exited the room, as if he was afraid that it was some sort of trick and he would end up being tackled to the ground and deeply sedated. But he couldn't help his suspicions; the people he had grown up around were not very trustful; either they were jealous of him or they though he was absolutely crazy.

As Hinata closed and locked the door, Sasuke looked around the nearly empty halls; there were a few nurses here and there, but besides them, the corridors were very quiet and vacant. No one jumped at him, and he did not feel a needle being forcibly shoved into his body; Sasuke allowed himself to relax.

"This way," Hinata whispered, though there was no real need to. It was strange for everything to be so quiet, so she felt as though it'd be strange to talk so loud.

Sasuke followed the short doctor as she rounded a few corners. He inwardly scowled; it was so hushed in the corridors. There was no laughter, no screaming, no yells, no creaks or the sounds of a television; it was _too_ peaceful. Purposely, he started walking very loudly, stomping his feet down on the tiled floor in an effort to create some sort of noise to calm his uneasy nerves.

Hinata glanced at the patient behind her, stamping against the ground as if he was Godzilla; he looked very idiotic doing it; his legs were murdering the poor tiles, and he had on a stoic face. She couldn't help but smile at his antics, though she said nor did nothing to stop him; he did mention something about not liking quiet places in their talk.

Finally, the two arrived at the cafeteria; she pushed through the large double doors, and immediately, thunderous conversations exploded right in front of them, enveloping Sasuke and Hinata in a boisterous bubble. Sasuke had to bite down on his lip to keep from sighing in relief out loud. At long last, there was noise, loud, obnoxious noise; he couldn't even hear his heart rate slow down, and that was exactly how he liked it.

The commons was very big, bigger than the one in the last institution at least. There were a few guards and doctors, but not many; he could've sworn that there would've been at least twenty total to keep the patients in place.

The Hyuuga turned back and motioned him to tag along; she took him to a long table—like the ones in school cafeterias to seat students for lunch—that had every seat filled. Near the middle was a raucous blonde, standing on the table and wearing what seemed to be a doctor's coat; it was two sizes too big for him, and he was dancing and making faces and saying disturbing yet amusing comments to his audience, resulting in eruptions of laughter. For some strange reason, his chest was bulging outwards, though Sasuke was sure that the blonde was a male…

Once they reached the table, an orange fell out from under his shirt, causing more bursts of chortles as people yelled obscene phrases at him. So, he wasn't a woman; he was just a male who liked to stuff his shirt to make it look like he had a couple of things he wasn't supposed to have…

Someone picked up the fruit and threw it at him; he caught it with ease and stuck it back up his shirt.

"Does this coat make my butt look big?" The blonde girl/boy—hermaphrodite?—patient stuck out their butt and slapped it, using a very high voice that did not seem normal. The action made more people cackle in entertainment; some faces turned red and blue from not enough air, and a few people actually fell off their chair and choked on their food. Wolf whistles echoed throughout the room.

The blonde jumped down from the table when he realized the presence of the two new arrivals; grinning, he placed one hand against his head in a salute, and the other one he kept underneath the two bumps on his chest to keep them from falling.

"Good afternoon, Naruto," Hinata smiled at him, stifling a giggle that threatened to squirm its way out of her throat.

"Is this him I figured he'd be taller and less pale." the male-woman—Naruto—turned his bright blue eyes onto Sasuke; he had spoken so fast that Sasuke had barely caught his words. It was amazing that Hinata understood!

Hinata nodded in reply; she was finding it very hard to keep a straight face. "Yes, this is S-Sasuke Uchiha; please make him feel at home. He hasn't met a-any of the other patients, so could you introduce everyone f-for me?"

Naruto gave her two thumbs up; both oranges dropped and rolled away. There was a short silence before people, again, dropped to the floor, hooting and guffawing as if they weren't in an asylum, but rather, a party.

Before she left, Hinata placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder; he turned his head slightly to glance at her as she gave a comforting squeeze, and then left for the exit. Sasuke could feel a small surge of panic rush through his body; if she left him, what was he supposed to do? He didn't know how to make friends, or talk to people his age and chat about their hobbies. What was he supposed to say? She was the expert, and he was still new; you don't put a new recruit onto the battlefield when they don't know the basics! Madness!

Abruptly, Naruto's arm draped around Sasuke's shoulder and the blonde pulled him close, grinning like a maniac. "Welcome to Konoha, brother!" he cheered, and the others in the room followed suit. The blonde dragged him to a table as the loud chats began once more. Sasuke sat down beside Naruto, feeling quite out of place.

"Meet the gang, Sasuke!" Naruto's words whizzed faster than the speed of light. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki," he greeted Sasuke, holding out his hand only to pull it back in slight confusion when Sasuke did not accept it. "You look pretty normal I wonder why you're stuck in here you don't look as crazy as some people in this place have you met Orochimaru yet that guy is the craziest of us all no one really likes him he's a gay pervert boy you're not very talkative are you?"

Naruto had lost him after "You."

"Calm down, Naruto," a male with strange markings on his face rolled his eyes, smirking at Sasuke as if there was something he knew that the newbie didn't. "You'll scare off the new guy; wouldn't want that to happen, now do we?"

"WHAT?!" the blonde shouted, jumping up and down in his seat. "That would never happen we just met and we're best buddies already he's practically my brother now and brothers never leave 'cause family sticks together!"

As the two strange people argued, Sasuke looked around and noticed that the wild laughter had calmed down and there was now just a drone in the air, the sound of too many conversations mashed together into one big sound. Occasionally, there would be a voice that would break it, louder than the rest, but then it would die down and return to the large mass.

He found it very peaceful.

"Oh right Sasuke here are some of your brothers you'll be seeing more often if you're able to get out of that cage you're stuck in."

"Call me Kankurou," the one with the weird facial markings said, holding out a hand for Sasuke to shake, but of course he didn't shake it.

"Hello, I'm Haku," Sasuke's attention turned to someone who sat diagonally from him. He couldn't tell if the person was a girl or a boy because of the person's long, brown hair. Well, it was also the face that threw him off; that dude/dudette…? That thing's face was very delicate, too; it had a boyish look to it, but then when he looked closely it was also very feminine. "By the way, I'm a boy."

There were more people to introduce, but they had been rudely interrupted by a furious voice.

"Hey, you punk."

Sasuke looked up at the unfamiliar and harsh sound among the happier ones surrounding him; the hair on the back of his neck rose and he narrowed his eyes in annoyance. The two had never met before, but there was just something about that one guy that made Sasuke pull up his guard.

"After what you did to me you have the audacity to come out here and _eat_ amongst us?" the brunette snarled angrily, taking a step forward and raising a fist in fury and frustration.

Sasuke said nothing, nor did any emotion but apathy affect his face. He had seen that guy's type before: arrogant, hard-headed, reckless, and easy to annoy—Sasuke's favorite type to mess with.

"Hey, answer me, maggot!"

Kankurou frowned, leaning forward into his seat to get a better look at the angry brown-headed man. "Kiba, calm down; Sasuke's new here. Give him a break."

"Stay out of this, Kankurou!" the one called Kiba yelled, flicking the other man off. Then, he turned back to Sasuke, his face practically turning red with anger.

"You," he began. "I'll frickin murder you."

"Kiba!" Naruto stood up, his hands slamming against the table in rage. "That's no way to speak to your brother apologize right now!"

"No fu—" He couldn't finish his sentence, though, because his eyes flickered back to Sasuke and then stopped on his face. The once impassive eyes turned into a sharp death glare. Nobody seemed to notice though, and while Sasuke didn't say anything, Kiba could've sworn he heard a rough voice growl in his ear.

_I'd like to see you try._

Kiba snarled at the challenge. "You better watch your back."

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**A/N: Yeah…that's it. Lol Hopefully the next chapter should be better. I think it's a little rushed soo yeah….**

**Oh and I apologize again. My writing mojo comes and goes and comes and goes hehe…yeah…**

**Jin: Review! NOW! Why? Because it helps.**

**No, seriously, it does.**


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